London attack: Eight-year-old children pay tributes to police

Two eight-year-old children have paid tribute to the police in words and pictures after hearing about the London attacks.

Hetty from Kent thanked the police for their work in a letter and Zane from Oxfordshire drew a picture of PC Keith Palmer as a "police angel" after the officer was murdered on Wednesday.

Hetty wrote: "Dear Police. You are doing a fantastic job. Thank you for keeping our country safe today and taking care of the people that have been hurt in London and keeping the prime minister safe. Your job is tricky but thank you for being brave as a police officer. Thank you so much. Love from Hetty x."

Her mother Sue was surprised by the impact the news story had on her daughter.

"She was listening to the news coverage on BBC Radio in the back of the car after we picked her up from an after school club," says Sue.

"She didn't make much comment initially. Then she said she wanted to know what happened. We explained to her that some people think it's OK to hurt others for what they believe in.

"She also asked how a policeman died and we told her it was because he was doing his job, keeping everyone safe.

"As we pulled up at home, she declared she was going to write a letter to say thank you to the police - she obviously took in more than I realised.

"We are hoping to post it but have only just got an address.

"Hetty just wants to know that some 'real police' as she puts it, have seen her letter."

"I'm a police angel that will watch over you always." Zane, eight, drew a picture of PC Keith Palmer after hearing about his death.

Zane, from Oxfordshire, drew a picture of PC Keith Palmer as a "police angel" on Thursday after asking his parents about the London attacks.

His mother, Rawan, hopes that Mr Palmer's widow and children will see the picture.

"He saw the news coverage and asked at dinner 'who is the bad guy and good guy?'," Rawan told the BBC.

"I didn't want to scare him by talking about terrorism so I just said a bad guy killed a few people and a policeman tried to save people and is now a hero."

Zane then asked: "Is he an angel?"

He went to his bedroom where Rawan says she thought he was practising karate or playing.

"When I went upstairs two hours later, I saw scraps of paper and colours - he wrote a poem for Keith Palmer and made a drawing of him."

Zane, from Oxfordshire, also wrote a poem about Keith Palmer.

The poem reads:

"Yesterday I was a policeman that looked after you.

"But now I'm a police angel that will watch over you.

"Always and all through

"Whistle whistle, London I love you!"

Zane memorised the poem and read it out at school to his class on Friday.

"He wanted to make the policeman look like he's flying too - he's a very emotional boy and he believes that all good people who die will become angels," Rawan explains.

"I was very shocked at the beginning, I didn't realise that he had grasped that much about the story.

"It touched me deeply and we really wish PC Palmer's widow and family can see it."

By Andree Massiah and Georgina Rannard, UGC & Social News team