Business chiefs unite to praise London's resilience in the face of terror

Business chiefs have hailed the “resilience” of Londoners which they believe will help the capital to bounce back from a spate of terrorist attacks and the Grenfell Tower tragedy.

“What unites these moments of tragedy is the response and resilience of communities affected directly after,” Facebook vice-president Nicola Mendelsohn told the audience at the Evening Standard Business Awards.

"How people have come together, how close communities draw even closer and how even those who do not know each other form great bonds and perform acts of kindness and sacrifice.”

Confidence has been rocked but London remains undaunted, Virgin Money chief executive Jayne-Anne Gadhia said.

“London will bounce back. Despite all the horror and tragedy over the past few months, what will stand out is how people have helped each other and stood together.”

Aviva chief Mark Wilson said London was “remarkably resilient” and Matchesfashion director Nicolas Pickaerts said the response in terror-hit Borough, where the company is based, was “utterly inspiring”.

“We are proud to see that despite the awful London attacks, the community, including international tourists, are resilient and continue to shop — our store sales remain strong,” he added

Asos global trading director Nicola Thompson, based in Camden, said: “I’ve lived here for the past 10 to 15 years and London always does bounce back.”

Battersea Power station chief development officer David Twohig added: “London has shown that it marches on.”