By James Holt,Joseph Timan

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Members of the Heaton Park Hebrew congregation have described their fear after being locked inside their synagogue as police gunned down a terror attacker on Thursday (October 2). Those gathering for Yom Kippur prayers were ‘ushered’ inside the synagogue by police following the ‘commotion’ outside, as an armed man began attacking innocent members of the public. They later barricaded themselves inside. And those living nearby have recalled the moment they saw the knife-wielding suspect be shot multiple times by armed officers in the horrifying scenes. Greater Manchester Police were called to Middleton Road, Crumpsall, shortly after 9.30am to reports that a car had been driven at members of the public before innocent victims were then stabbed outside the building. The suspect did not gain entry to the synagogue after the efforts of ‘brave’ members security and was rapidly shot dead by police at the scene – within seven minutes of the emergency call being made. The suspect, who police initially believed was wearing an ‘explosive vest’, was also in images appearing to have items attached to a belt. It was reported that he had attacked numerous innocent members of the public after smashing his car into a gate and into people. Never miss a story with the MEN’s daily Catch Up newsletter – get it in your inbox by signing up here Two were killed and four others seriously injured in the incident , which took place on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Throughout Thursday, worshippers continued Yom Kippur prayers in police headquarters, with others embracing one another at the edge of the police cordon. Images taken outside following the incident, show a blade and what appears to be an explosive belt next to the attacker’s body – which was later confirmed to be ‘non-viable’. Inside the synagogue at the time of the attack was Rob Kanter, an inter-faith worker, who described the moment the knifeman attacked. The 45-year-old, who lives in the neighbourhood and has a PhD in Jewish-Muslim relations, told Manchester Evening News : “I was in the main body of the synagogue, so I heard a commotion outside. And then the police came in and ushered us to safety. “We tried to say a few prayers to keep things going. “I think in a certain sense there’s a little bit of powerlessness. There’s not a lot I can do at the moment, but you just want everyone to be well… that anyone who is hurt to be recovered. “You feel an initial sense of shock and disbelief, because you know it’s the day of atonement.” Once the attacker had been shot, armed police officers entered the building and moved those from the main synagogue to safety in the back hall, before being taken to a nearby police building. Here, Mr Kanter described how the rabbi continued prayers with the congregation. He said: “The rabbi was providing as much pastoral support, in the circumstances, as he could. And what I would say is when we got to police quarters we continued to do part of the service – because at the end of the day, of course it’s awkward and difficult, and people have a multitude of emotions going on, that we carried on and did what we could in the circumstances. “And yes your mind is on many things, but at the end of the day, or rabbi’s role is to say ‘yes, this is a terrible tragedy, but we want to try where possible to remember today is the Yom Kippur, the day of atonement’, and we did as much as we could as a group. “That is a gesture that says there are certain things that are eternal. There are certain things that cannot be stopped by this. And that would be my message to people. We want people to live in dignity, we want all these freedoms of religion, of worship, of tolerance, that our society stands for. “I’m very proud to live in a multicultural neighbourhood, where, yes of course there are tensions… but generally speaking we look out for each other. And as neighbours we have more in common than we might think. For me, that is the abiding message. I would not want anyone to feel like they cannot live with the religious freedom this wonderful country has given us.” Also in the synagogue at the time of the attack was a worshipper who gave his name as Rami. Originally from Iran, he has lived nearby for around 16 years. He told the M.E.N. he moved here because it was a place people are ‘allowed to be who you want to be’. Now, he feels he has to be careful when he tells people he is Jewish. Describing the neighbourhood, he said: “We look after each other here, it’s alright. You get one or two here and there but 90 per cent of us are ok. We all say hello to each other. My neighbour literally next to me is Muslim. They’re very nice people. They look after us.” He added: “There are a lot of people who have been affected quite badly. Some very badly. These families came out of their house and they are literally crying, worrying about what they’re going to do. “You have to shut the door at the moment. To be afraid in you own home, that’s really shocking.” One resident, who lives beside the synagogue, has recalled the moment he and his wife saw the attacker being shot dead by police and left in a pool of blood. An explosives device, brought in by bomb disposal teams, was also seen taking off the suspect’s belt and what appeared to be a ‘large vest that looked like a backpack’. “I was in bed waiting to get up to go to work this morning when my wife realised something was happening outside,” he told the M.E.N. “She had heard the car crash into the gates outside. As I got up I went to the en-suite, and then heard the gunshots. They were very, very loud. I’ve never heard anything like it before. It was frightening. “I didn’t know where they were coming from at first, but then we realised it was the police shooting the attacker. He was still moving on the ground, tried to get up, and then was shot at again. “We heard the police shouting at people. Alarms were going off. People were beeping their horns. “We saw his body lying face down outside the entrance with smashed flower pots on the ground. The knife was in front of him, and we could see the belt which had what looked like silver packages attached to it.” Later on, the local resident saw sniffer dogs drafted in and a specialist explosive device which removed the attacker’s belt and vest – which police believed was an explosive device. “Reality quickly set in,” he explained. “We knew with tensions being so high at the moment that the synagogue would have been a target. As soon as we saw the armed police, our immediate thought was it was a terror incident. It’s terrifying right outside your house. It was absolutely shocking. All I can hear is the gunshots.” Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Stephen Watson confirmed that two members of the Jewish community lost their lives in the incident. Four others are seriously injured in hospital. A major incident was declared by leading agencies on Thursday morning, with investigations into the attack continuing. Two men were later arrested nearby in connection with the incident, which is being treated as a terrorist incident. Mr Watson added: “There were a large number of worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of this attack, but thanks to the immediate bravery of security staff and worshippers inside, and the fast response of the police, the attacker was prevented from gaining access. All those inside were safely contained until police were able to confirm that it was safe to leave the premises. “Enquiries are moving at pace, and very visible and proactive policing activity is ongoing across Greater Manchester and beyond. Updates will be provided as soon as possible. Our priority is to keep the public safe. “I want to share my gratitude to all the members of the public who called the police as soon as they saw what was happening – this allowed the quick response from our officers, who were able to act swiftly and bravely to bring this horrendous attack to an end. “I also want to thank our partners from the other emergency services, local authorities and the health service, who have provided their ongoing support to us throughout the day, and will continue to do, over the coming days. “I know today’s horrific events will have a significant impact on all our communities, not only in Greater Manchester, but across our country.”