They were calm but needed to help. They were tourists with nowhere to sleep because hotels were in lockdown Or they had no mobile phone battery left to call relatives back home and say they were ok. Or they were police and ambulance workers simply needing a cup of tea.

These were some of the many people helped by the Salvation Army in Southwark, near London Bridge, in the hours following the terror attack.

Some people who sought refuge ended up staying the night. There was nowhere else to go.

Normally, everyone would be asleep already, but it was 11pm on Saturday night when the Salvation Army's Southwark community church near the attack site decided to open its doors to offer a place of safety.

They had seven people sleep overnight, they were able to help people to charge phones and call family and taxis, and they were able to offer the on-duty police officers a place to rest and use facilities.

Captain Ashish Pawar, church leader at Southwark Salvation Army, said: 'Being so close to the scene, we just wanted to do something to help so we opened up our church and community centre at 11pm. Around 25 police officers came for refreshments, seven people slept here, including people who were not able to go back to their hotels, and a number of others just needed to have a hot drink, chat and charge their phones so they could call family and friends.'

He had become quickly aware of the unfolding emergency. 'We said alright, let's just open our hall to see if we can serve people, there's people who came here. There's people who came here because in the London Bridge area and Borough, their hotels were on a lockdown so they couldn't get in.'

People just sat there drinking coffee.

'We said you can stay here for the night.'

Police also started coming in to use the toilets. Others came in so they could charge their phones and call their families. 'It was a real privilege and a blessing to be able to serve them in this atmosphere.'

The Salvation Army's territorial leader, Commissioner Clive Adams, said, 'Yet again, we awoke to news of another monstrous attack by depraved and cowardly men, this time much closer to home - in the borough where we live... in the area where we walk and commute every day. Yet again, my thoughts go to those who mourn loss, and those who are injured both physically and emotionally.

"I have no words. I turn, and point, to Sovereign God.'

He added a prayer: 'Lord, you are great and powerful. You have glory, victory, and honor. Everything in heaven and on earth belongs to you. The kingdom belongs to you, Lord; you are the ruler over everything.' (1 Chronicles 29:11 NCV)