BLAST BELT FEARS

Bomb disposal expert feared London Bridge terrorists’ suicide belts were real until he cut them from their dead bodies

A BOMB disposal expert has said he only realised the London Bridge terrorists’ suicide belts were fakes after he cut them from their dead bodies.

Kevin Short told the inquest into their deaths that he arrived shortly after cops shot them.

Khuram Butt, 27, Rachid Redouane, 30, and Youssef Zaghba, 22, killed eight in the van and knives attack in June 2017.

In under 10 minutes, they were confronted in Stoney Street by firearms officers who shot them dead.

Mr Short said he instructed two officers guarding the bodies to try to clear the area and take cover.

He told jurors he decided to inspect the devices manually rather than deploy robots to see if they were viable explosives.

Mr Short began removing one belt and told the hearing it was just empty bottles with silver tape.

But questioned by a police barrister, he said: “I cut the belt. Up until that moment, I believed they were live devices.

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