The heroic “lion of London Bridge” has been caught on camera launching a racist tirade at a group of protesters.
Roy Larner was hailed as a hero in the wake of the London Bridge terror attack, after having shouting “f*** you I’m Millwall” as he took on the three attackers with his bare hands. Supporters raised more than £50,000 to get the unemployed Londoner back on his feet.
But newly emerged video, which was filmed in February, shows him shouting racist slurs and spitting in a man’s face. It is not clear how the argument with anti-racism protesters was initiated, with the footage only showing Mr Larner apparently becoming angry after being photographed.
Mr Larner is seen walking two dogs as he launches into a tirade of racist abuse and spits in the face of a black cameraman.
“Foreigners, c**t,” Mr Larner shouts at the protesters. “Foreign c**ts. F*** off. F*** off you rapist c**ts.
"W*nkers, people like you stink like sh*t,” he says as the video comes to a close.
When one of the protestors walks up to Mr Larner and appears to headbutt him, Mr Larner retreats. As he does so he repeatedly shouts “National Front” and points to himself.
His mother has since said that the protesters had said something about the dogs he was walking and that he was standing up to them in response.
"They said something to Roy about the dogs, when he was taking them for a walk,” she said. "These blokes, about four or five of them said something to Roy and he turned round and you know, he'll stand up to anyone.
"I don't know what they said to him, I was in a hurry and we were not really talking at the time.
"He was taking the dogs for a walk and was on his way back to his girlfriend's, he gave them a mouthful.
"He is certainly quite a character, he can be a bit of a handful."
She added that during London Bridge attack Roy would have died if the police had not arrived. Phyllis added: "Roy is doing alright, I never realised how bad he was stabbed I cannot believe how he got out of it alive.
"If the police had not got there in time I do not think he would have survived.
"I cannot believe how he survived that."
The video was shot in February in the Elephant and Castle area of London, apparently during a student protest. It was posted months before Mr Larner was hailed as a hero for his actions in the Black & Blue bar at London Bridge, but has emerged in the wake of the huge number of donations that have been raised for him.
The video has been posted online under the caption “hero?”
Mr Larner, who friends have said was homeless at the time of the attack, was taken to St Thomas’s Hospital after fending off the attackers.
The Independent has attempted to contact Mr Larner for comment.
