LONDON, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Geoff Ho, the financial journalist who became a hero in last year's terror attack on London Bridge, was praised by Prime Minister Theresa May Sunday on the first anniversary of a the horrific incident which claimed eight lives.
Ho also revealed Sunday how he had found true love as a result of the attack and was now engaged.
May said: "The many stories of courage demonstrated that night will always stay with me -- such as Ignacio Echeverria, who died after confronting the terrorists with the only thing he had, his skateboard, and Geoff Ho, who spent almost two weeks in hospital after being stabbed in the neck as he shielded his friends."
May described the attack on London Bridge and the nearby Borough Market as a cowardly attempt to strike at the heart of freedoms by deliberately targeting people enjoying their Saturday night with friends and family.
"Today we remember those who died and the many more who were injured, and also pay tribute to the bravery of our emergency services and those who intervened or came to the aid of others," said May.
A memorial service at Southwark Cathedral followed by a procession to London Bridge for a one-minute tribute silence, are also planned to commemorate one of the deadliest attacks in the British capital since the 2005 London bombings.
Among the eight people killed were seven foreign nationals from four different nations.
"This is a reflection of our great cosmopolitan capital, whose energy and values brings together people from across the world, and a tragic reminder that the threat from terrorism transcends borders and impacts us all," added May.
She concluded: "My message to those who seek to target our way of life or try to divide us is clear - our resolve to stand firm and overcome this threat together has never been stronger."
As well as the eight fatalities, 48 people were injured when three terrorists drove a van into people on London Bridge before attacking with knives people enjoying a night out in the bars and restaurants around the nearby Borough Market.
HERO
A photograph of Ho, clutching a T-shirt to his neck to stop the bleeding has become one of the most shocking and enduring images from the attack. He had been stabbed in the neck by one of the terrorists as he tried to protect his friends.
On Sunday, the Sunday Express relived the story of Ho, describing how his Adam's apple was severed and another knife narrowly missed major arteries. Following an operation, a tube was inserted in his throat for a week to help him breathe and he was unable to speak for three days.
Ho told the Express how he had how his life has changed since the attack, and how he has found romance with a friend he had first met at a kung fu class.
A year on, Ho was back at Borough Market next to the restaurant where he was stabbed, with his fiancee Cecile De Alencar, 37, and their pet dog Tino, by his side.
Ho told the Express: "Cecile and I met at kung fu and I thought she was lovely. We never did anything about it because we were always involved with other people.
"But when this stuff happens to you, suddenly you realize the people that really matter to you. It brings it home who does matter and who doesn't. She turned up at the hospital and I remember seeing her after just waking up from the operation.
"It was the most beautiful sight in the world. I knew before that she was 'the one' but it was then that we arranged to meet for dinner at my house after I left the hospital."
The atrocity that threatened to tear his life apart made the couple realize just how much they loved each other, said the Express.
Ho, who is 41, added: "I appreciate everything more. My life is amazing now. I have a wonderful fiancee, this amazing dog. I have a wonderful home life, my family and friends are all amazing. The terrorists didn't win. Hell, no. In fact they did the opposite... they brought us all closer together."
Britain's Home Secretary Sajid Javid is expected to announce on Monday a range of steps aimed at boosting Britain's counter-terrorism approach.
The new strategy is expected to include plans for national intelligence service MI5 to share its information more widely.
The Home Office said Sunday: "We expect the threat from Islamist terrorism to remain at its current, heightened level for at least the next two years, and that it may increase further."
The official also added that Britain had assessed the threat from extreme right-wing terrorism to be growing.
