A SHOCKED couple have relived their horror after being caught up in the aftermath of the London stabbings.

Gary and Wendy Maxwell were in London for the weekend when a terrorist struck on London Bridge, claiming the lives of two innocent victims.

While Wendy and her sister Ninna were shopping on Oxford Street, on Friday, their husbands Gary and James Burscough were dining in a restaurant overlooking Borough Market in the city.

Gary, of Seaton, spotted a police helicopter flying over the restaurant and shortly after heard three to four gunshots.

He saw the market become empty all of a sudden, with people running to safety. That’s when the restaurant went into lockdown.

Gary, 57, said: “No one knew what was happening, it was very strange.”

The father-of-two said he did not know whether it was a terror attack and if the incident was over but he managed to ring his wife.

“I told her to stay where she was. The staff at the restaurant were brilliant, they locked the doors and there were people under the tables and lying on the floor. There were some children there and they were getting upset and crying.

“It seemed a while before police arrived, but I don’t think it was that long, it just felt like a long time.

“Four to five armed police officers escorted us through the market.”

But for Gary the most upsetting aspect, was alerting his children, who were at home in Cumbria.

He said: “It was a scary time. I didn’t want my daughter to be hearing things on the news and worry and I phoned her.

“That was the biggest shock, she got a bit upset because we were stuck inside, it was worrying.”

And it was an emotional moment when Gary and James managed to meet up with Wendy and Ninna after being escorted away by police.

He said: “There were big hugs, it was nice to see her.”

Wendy, 56, said: “I was shocked when Gary rang to say they had been locked in the restaurant, I couldn’t believe what was happening and I didn’t how much danger they were in.

“It took a lot of effort not to panic. We were shopping on Oxford Street at the time and everything was so calm and normal - it felt surreal.

“Once Gary told me they were safe it was a huge relief.”

She added that they spent the rest of their stay being wary of everything around them.

However Gary said he did not feel comfortable knowing that the restaurant would have lost money due to the lockdown and subsequent evacuation, so the family returned the following day for another meal and to pay their bill.

He added: “The staff were really good to us and I thought they must have lost a fortune.

“We tried to carry on and enjoy our weekend but we were a bit on edge.”

The attack, by Usman Khan claimed the lives of Jack Merritt, 25, and Saskia Jones, 23, leaving three more injured in hospital.