London Bridge attack: Three French victims among dead

Police found a body in the Thames, while looking for Xavier Thomas (pictured)

Three French men are among those killed in the London Bridge attack on Saturday.

Police searching for Xavier Thomas, 45, recovered a body from the Thames on Tuesday evening. The discovery pushed the overall death toll to eight.

Although Mr Thomas has not been formally identified, his family have been informed.

Sebastien Belanger, 36, and Alexandre Pigeard, 27, also died in the attack.

President Emmanuel Macron confirmed the French death toll on Wednesday, adding that eight citizens were also among the injured.

"It is a heavy price that we pay in these attacks," he said.

Sebastien Belanger

Sebastien Belanger's friends lost him in the chaos of the attack

French chef Sebastien Belanger, who worked at the Coq d'Argent restaurant near Bank, was also killed during the attack.

The 36-year-old had been watching the Champions League final with friends at a nearby pub.

His girlfriend's sister told the Evening Standard newspaper that they left the pub just before the attack.

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"When the van hit, they thought it was just a car accident. Then after a few seconds they saw people running, screaming, and a guy with a knife attacking," said Greta Tubutyte.

She said a woman was stabbed right in front of them, and two of his friends managed to run away, losing him in the commotion.

After confirmation of his death, his girlfriend posted his picture on Facebook, with the French caption "Mon amour" (My love).

Alexandre Pigeard

Alexandre Pigeard was in the Boro Bistro restaurant in London Bridge when he was stabbed by one of the attackers

A waiter at Boro Bistro, Alexandre Pigeard, 27, died after being stabbed.

According to French media, Mr Pigeard was from Caen, in Normandy, but had been living in London for more than two years.

Vincent Le Berre, a manager at Boro Bistro, told the Brittany news outlet Le Telegramme how his colleague was attacked by a terrorist in a bar near Borough Market.

"I managed to escape him, but my friend Alexandre did not have that chance," he said. "He was hit in the neck with a knife."

A college friend of Mr Pigeard's told the BBC the victim's mother was devastated by the news.

His father told French media he was a "marvellous son" and a "radiant young man".

He was also a DJ.

Xavier Thomas

It is thought Xavier Thomas was thrown off London Bridge into the River Thames

Xavier Thomas was walking along the bridge with his girlfriend, Christine Delcros, on Saturday night.

The couple had come to London for the weekend.

It is thought he was propelled into the River Thames after being hit by the white van driven into pedestrians by the three attackers.

A body was found in the water downstream, near Limehouse, at 19:44 BST on Tuesday.

Ms Delcros was seriously injured.

Her sister, Natalie Cros Brohan, posted Facebook on Wednesday morning, saying her sibling had been operated on and was in a stable condition.