'Loving husband and son, proud dad and a true warrior': Family's tribute to soldier hacked to death on London street
- Lee Rigby, 25, hit by car on the pavement before being brutally murdered
- Drummer known as 'Riggers' was 'loving father' to two-year-old son Jack
- He died just 200 yards away from the Royal Artillery Barracks, Woolwich
- Lee had separated from his 30-year-old wife Rebecca, Jack's mother
- His girlfriend is serving in Royal Military Police in Afghanistan
- She was being flown home last night to be with family
- Two suspects with blood on their hands were shot by police and arrested
Serving his country on the dusty battlefields of Afghanistan, he risked his life facing Taliban bullets and roadside bombs.
Back in Britain after a gruelling deployment in one of the most dangerous places imaginable, Drummer Lee Rigby would have been thankful to have emerged unscathed.
But, four years later, on a supposedly safe London high street, the young soldier was brutally cut down in his prime, butchered by crazed Islamic fanatics wielding cleavers and knives.
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Fallen hero: Father Lee Rigby, 25, from Manchester, was described as 'cheeky and humorous' in tributes. He was executed by two suspected Islamic terrorists in Woolwich yesterday afternoon
A great character: Father of one and soldier Rigby, of Greater Manchester, pictured relaxing on Army leave
In broad daylight, Drummer Rigby, 25, the married father of a little boy, was run over then hacked to death in front of horrified onlookers.
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The pair, who were known to the security services, shouted ‘Allah Akhbar’ – Arabic for ‘God is great’ – as they mercilessly slaughtered the defenceless serviceman.
Career: Drummer Rigby, 25, known as 'Riggers', was known as a brave soldier
His unnamed girlfriend is said to be serving in the Royal Military Police and was last night flying home from Afghanistan, reported The Sun.
Last night Drummer Rigby's grieving relatives spoke of their devastation and loss.
A statement released by his family said: ‘Lee was lovely. He would do anything for anybody, he always looked after his sisters and always protected them. He took a “big brother” role with everyone.
‘All he wanted to do from when he was a little boy was be in the Army. He wanted to live life and enjoy himself.
‘His family meant everything to him. He was a loving son, husband, father, brother, and uncle, and a friend to many.’
A brother in law of the soldier’s wife Rebecca, 30, said she was ‘absolutely in bits’.
Speaking from her family’s home in Halifax, he said: ‘He died in the most horrific way possible, it’s shocking and unimaginable.’
It was revealed that Mr Rigby’s sister, Sara, 24, tried in vain to contact her brother after hearing about ‘an incident’ close to his barracks in Woolwich, south-east London, on Wednesday afternoon.
‘She was trying to ring him but told friends she was worried because she couldn’t get hold of him on the phone,’ said a friend.
‘Then this morning we heard it was Lee that had been killed, it’s just tragic, awful what’s happened.’
Drummer Rigby was yesterday described by Army comrades as a ‘great character’ who was ‘larger than life’.
Lee Rigby married Rebecca, who is the mother of his son Jack, in 2007 but the couple separated
Known as ‘Riggers’, he joined the Army in 2006 and, after completing his infantry training, was selected for the corps of drums and posted to the 2nd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, which is currently based on the island of Cyprus.
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In 2009, he deployed to Helmand province where he was a machinegunner with the battalion’s fire support group in Patrol Base Woqab in Sangin, an insurgent hotspot.
His unit arrived in the warzone at the height of the Taliban insurgency and ran a deadly daily gauntlet of firefights and improvised explosive devices.
That year cost 108 British lives – almost a quarter of the 444 UK troops killed in the conflict. Drummer Rigby’s unit lost six men, including one of his close friends in a bomb blast that killed three soldiers.
After the killing: Michael Adebolajo, 28, pictured on Wednesday, once served a jail sentence for violence
British citizen: The second attacker was named last night in reports as Michael Adebowale, 22
Sticken: The two alleged terrorists were filmed a the drama as it unfolded on camera phones before witnesses were shepherded away by officers
Picture: This image was the first to emerge on Twitter, showing people close to the soldier's dead body while police hang over the men they have just shot
During his military career, the life-long Manchester United fan had proudly stood outside the royal palaces on ceremonial duties.
'Riggers was a cheeky and humorous man, always there with a joke to brighten the mood'
Captain Alan Williamson, Adjutant Second Fusiliers
He was a member of the battalion’s corps of drums and also served with the unit in Germany and Cyprus.
In 2011 he took up a post with the regimental recruiting team in London meaning he worked at the Woolwich garrison.
Drummer Rigby’s distraught family were yesterday being comforted by relatives and friends. Police stood guard outside the house and patrolled the street.
TRAGIC SOLDIER SHOT IN FACE BY YOBS WHEN HE WAS JUST 16
Drummer Lee Rigby had been a victim of another random attack almost 10 years before he was brutally killed in the street on Wednesday.
He was shot just below the eye with an air rifle by a gang of youths as he walked home from a chip shop in Langley, Greater Manchester.
He was taken to North Manchester General Hospital but surgeons decided not to operate as removing the pellet risked causing paralysis down the side of his face.
The tiny metal ball was left in his face after doctors decided it would eventually work itself away from the nerve and stop causing him pain.
After the incident, in September 2003, Drummer Rigby told a local newspaper: 'At first, my face went numb. I didn’t feel it and I didn’t know what had happened. It was only when my mum pointed out the blood streaming down my face that we realised I’d been shot.
'I’ve been taking loads of painkillers as well as the antibiotics, but they don’t really stop the pain for very long. It stings sometimes, and it still hurts when I shut my eyes.'
In tribute: Flowers left at the scene in Woolwich, south-east London, where soldier Lee Rigby lost his life
Flowers: Drummer Rigby was known to his comrades as 'Riggers', who said he was a 'very bubbly character'
Remembered: Drummer Rigby, a keen football fan who followed Manchester United FC, was just starting his Army career and had recently fought in Afghanistan with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
On guard: Police stand outside the family home of murdered Lee Rigby in Middleton, Greater Manchester
Moving scenes: Two boys lay flowers outside Woolwich Barracks as the press gather
Tears: It all appears too much for one man at the scene where flowers lay
Tribute: One mourner left this moving note at the scene which was placed among the floral tributes
Tributes: Three women lay flowers near the scene in Woolwich yesterday after the serviceman was brutally stabbed to death
Community in grief: A group of women lay flowers outside the barracks yesterday after the horrific murder
Wellwishers: Two police officers gather up flowers at the scene of the killing, which have been passed to them by members of the public
The soldier grew up on the sprawling Langley estate in Middleton, near Rochdale, and attended nearby Middleton Technology School.
Outside: Police officers were guarding Drummer Rigby's home in Greater Manchester
His parents Lyn, 46, and Phil McClure, 53, had Lee and three daughters, Sara, 24, Chelsea, 21 and Megan, before they split up.
Lyn later met and married Ian Rigby and the young man took his stepfather’s name.
The couple went on to have two daughters, Courtney, 11, and Amy, eight. Drummer Rigby married girlfriend Rebecca in her home village of Southowram, near Halifax, in 2007 and the couple had a son Jack, who is now two. The couple are understood to have separated.
Friends and neighbours said they were devastated by the ‘shocking and appalling’ murder.
Katie Lord, 26, who lives opposite Drummer Rigby’s mother and stepfather in Middleton, said: ‘I’ve known him since we were knee high and he was a lovely lad.
‘He wanted to join the Army ever since he was a kid – it was his ambition. I just can’t believe it. I’m in total shock – in pieces.’
Another friend, who declined to be named, said: ‘He got married to his sweetheart in such a lovely, romantic wedding.
‘He was a proud dad and family man. He was a good egg, always had time for people. We’re all just shocked and appalled.’
The Right Reverend Mark Davies, the Bishop of Middleton, said: ‘The nation has been shocked by Lee’s death. But the greatest burden is carried by those he knew and loved.
Probe: A police officer carries an evidence bag containing a knife near the scene of the killing of a soldier
High security: An armed woman stands guard outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich as security is stepped up at military bases across the country following Wednesday's attack
Grief: William Pemberton takes flowers for the fallen soldier in Woolwich on behalf of his dead son Billy who died last year after apparently taking his own life
‘Our prayers and sympathies are with his family, friends and those he served with.’
#REMEMBERINGDRUMMERLEERIGBY
People took to Twitter in remembrance of Drummer Rigby after he was identified.
Celebrities such as presenters Fearne Cotton, 31, and Phillip Schofield, 51, used the hashtag: '#RememberingDrummerLeeRigby'.
Student Esther Newman, 21, also posted a message with the hashtag, saying: 'So upsetting. A young man with his whole life ahead of him and a little boy that will grow up without his dad.'
Drummer Rigby was close friends with Fusilier Simon Annis, 22, who died when he was blown up by a Taliban bomb.
After Fusilier Annis’s death, Drummer Rigby played his drum on an emotional memorial walk to his fallen comrade to raise over £21,000 for charity.
His mother Ann Annis, of Salford, Manchester, said: ‘When I heard the name Rigby and his regiment named on the car radio, I knew I knew him.
‘My heart goes out to Lee’s parents and his loved ones. The poor lad didn’t deserve such a terrible end.
Father's tribute: Mr Pemberton hands over the bouquet of flowers to police for them to leave at the scene
Grief: Flowers pile up for the dead soldier who was murdered in Woolwich, south-east London, yesterday
Grief: Flowers are laid outside the barracks in south-east London yesterday after the soldier was murdered
Tribute: A handwritten note left with a bouquet of flowers near the scene of the killing in Woolwich
Note: A well wisher left flowers with a note that said: 'I never knew you, but you will stay in my heart forever'. They add: 'I pray you are at peace now'
'A true hero': Another wellwisher wrote: 'such a sad day and it disgusts me to think my son will have to grow up in a world like this full of violence'
'Fly high with the angels': A succinct note left with a bouquet of flowers at the scene in Woolwich, south-east London
Honour: A Help for Heroes t-shirt which was left at the scene yesterday. The soldier was wearing one of the charity's tops when he was brutally murdered
‘It was bad enough Simon getting killed out there while fighting in a war but nobody expects a soldier in the UK to be killed.’
DEAD SOLDIER WAS IN THE ROYAL REGIMENT OF FUSILIERS
The murdered soldier was in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Soldiers from the regiment are currently deployed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
Troops from the unit have often deployed in Northern Ireland, Cyprus and in the Middle East.
It was formed in 1968 when four old units in London, Lancashire, Warwickshire and Northumberland were brought together.
The Fusiliers now consists of two batallions, although one of them will be axed by 2020 in armed services cutbacks.
Lieutenant Colonel Jim Taylor, Commanding Officer Second Fusiliers, said: ‘Drummer Rigby was a dedicated and professional soldier. He was a real character.
‘Larger than life, he was at the heart of our corps of drums. He was a true warrior and served with distinction in Afghanistan.
‘His ability, talent and personality made him a natural choice to work in the recruiting group.
‘He will be sorely missed by everyone in the Second Fusiliers.’
Captain Alan Williamson, Adjutant Second Fusiliers, said: ‘Riggers was a cheeky and humorous man, always there with a joke to brighten the mood.
‘He was extremely popular. His loss will be felt across the battalion but this is nothing compared to how his family must be feeling at this difficult time.’
Warrant Officer Class 1 Ned Miller, Regimental Sergeant Major with the Second Fusiliers, said: ‘Riggers was one of the battalion’s great characters, always smiling and ready to brighten the mood.’
General Sir David Richards, the head of the armed forces, said: ‘We are absolutely determined not to be intimidated into not doing the right thing, whether it is here in this country or in Afghanistan or wherever we seek to serve the nation.’
Half mast: The Regimental flag is lowered outside the Royal Artillery Barracks yesterday after the murder of the young serviceman
Mourning: A Sikh man passes a bouquet of flowers to the police officer to lay at the scene
Honouring the dead soldier: A woman and her two children lay a postcard on floral outside The Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich
Patrols: Two soldiers, one of them carrying a firearm, walk outside Woolwich Barracks yesterday following the murder on Wednesday
Condemnation: David Cameron, pictured in Woolwich with local MP Nick Raynsford, said the attack would bring the UK together and 'make us stronger'
Tribute: Prime Minister David Cameron, speaking outside Number 10, said the murder of a 'brave soldier' on the streets of London will bring the UK together and 'make us stronger'
Scene: Boris Johnson speaks to police officers just yards from where the soldier was brutally murdered
Murder investigation: London Mayor Boris Johnson walks past the police tape as he is taken to the scene of the killing
Community in shock: Mr Johnson (centre) addresses the media in Woolwich, south-east London
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TIMELINE: HOW BRUTAL SOLDIER MURDER UNFOLDED
Here is a timeline of events concerning the brutal murder of a soldier in broad daylight in Woolwich:
May 22
- 2.20pm - Police respond to a 'serious incident' in John Wilson Street in south-east London following reports of an assault. London Air Ambulance are also called to the scene.
- Pictures published on Twitter show a number of men lying on the floor at the scene alongside knives and blood stains.
- Eyewitness say two men have been shot by armed police after a man wearing a Help for Heroes t-shirt was attacked with a machete-style knife and dumped in the street.
- The incident happened some 200 yards from the Royal Artillery Barracks, adjacent to Woolwich Common, the historical home of the Royal Artillery.
- London Ambulance Service confirm a man was found dead at the scene, while two other men were taken to hospital, one of them in a serious condition.
- Woolwich and Greenwich MP Nick Raynsford says he understands that the victim is a serving soldier.
- Prime Minister David Cameron describes the killing as 'truly shocking' and asks the Home Secretary to chair a meeting of Cobra, the Government's emergency committee. He will cut short an official visit to Paris to return to the UK to co-ordinate the Government's response.
- Metropolitan Police Commander Simon Letchford confirms that the two attackers were shot by armed officers.
- Shocking footage emerges of a black man wielding a bloodied meat cleaver at the scene moments after the attack, saying: 'We swear by almighty Allah we will never stop fighting you.'
- The footage, filmed by an eyewitness and shown on ITV News, shows the man speaking with an English accent and apologising to members of the public who witnessed the horrific scenes before making a number of political statements.
- At a press conference in Paris alongside French president Francois Hollande, Mr Cameron says Britain has faced terror attacks such as the one in Woolwich before, adding: 'We will never buckle in the face of it.'
- The Cobra meeting is told there are strong indications that the attack was a terrorist incident, Downing Street confirms.
- The Muslim Council of Britain condemns the attack as a 'truly barbaric act' that has no basis in Islam.
- Around 50 supporters of the English Defence League (EDL) gather at Woolwich Arsenal train station near the scene and throw bottles at police.
- Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says two men have been arrested in connection with the murder and the force's counter-terrorist unit are leading the investigation.
- The Daily Telegraph reports the story of a cub scout leader from Cornwall who confronted the Woolwich attackers, asking them to hand over their weapons.
- Ingrid Loyau-Kennett, 48, told the paper that one of the attackers said to her that they 'want to start a war in London tonight'.
- Two men are arrested after separate attacks on mosques in Gillingham, Kent and Braintree, in Essex.
May 23
- Sources say the Woolwich killers are of Nigerian background, who are most likely to be British citizens converted to a radical form of Islam.
- Troops in London are advised in the immediate aftermath of the attack not to wear their uniforms outside their bases.
- Police search the former home of a man called Michael Adebolajo in Lincolnshire in connection with the murder of a soldier in Woolwich.
- Anti-terror police prepare to question the two suspects who remain in separate hospitals under armed guard.
- Scotland Yard confirm that the man killed on May 22 in Woolwich was a serving soldier who has yet to be formally identified.
- Mr Cameron makes a statement outside 10 Downing Street in which he declares that the brutal terrorist murder of a 'brave soldier' on the streets of London will bring the UK together and 'make us stronger'.
- Police raid a flat on a housing estate in east Greenwich, south-east London in a move thought to be linked to the Woolwich attack.
- It is confirmed the two men shot by police after the terrorist murder of a soldier were both known to security services.
- The Ministry of Defence names the victim of the Woolwich killing as Drummer Lee Rigby, of 2nd Battalion, Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
