Mum... you're my best friend

Last words that haunt Saskia's grieving mother

- SASKIA ROWLANDS

AS Saskia Jones stirred rice in a pan, she chatted to her mum Michelle about visiting a Christmas market with pals.

The 23-year-old then said: "I want you to come with us because everybody knows you are my best friend, because you are."

It was their last proper conversation. Less than 24 hours later, on November 29, 2019, Saskia was stabbed to death by a terrorist at an event to rehabilitate prisoners at Fishmongers' Hall in London Bridge.

Five years have now passed since Saskia and fellow Cambridge graduate Jack Merritt, 25, were killed in Usman Khan's frenzied attack.

And today, Michelle speaks about that horrific day for the first time. She has replayed their last chat in her mind countless times, and said: "It's quite bizarre, almost as though she knew.

"Although that conversation brings me some comfort, I also wonder if it was a sign and somehow I should have known.

"Saskia and I were very close... we were more like sisters. Life without her feels empty. It has left a permanent hole in my heart that is impossible to fill. It's ever-present, from when I rise to when I sleep."