London terror hero has park named after him near childhood home

Ignacio Echeverría began beating one of the killers with his skateboard when he saw police were struggling, but was knifed in the back by another of the terrorists and died later in hospital.

Although his family all lives in Madrid, aside from one sister who lived near him in London, Ignacio was born in the town of As Pontes in the province of A Coruña in Spain's far north-western region.

Mayor Valentín García fitted a plaque with Ignacio's name and a picture of a skateboard, since the late hero went everywhere with his own and probably saved some lives with it during his final act of courage.

The HSBC analyst's family was in As Pontes yesterday (Saturday) for the unveiling, and hundreds of locals turned out to give them their support.

What is now the Ignacio Echeverría Park in the Anguieiro neighbourhood is right next door to the house he lived in until he was 11 years old.

“As Pontes learnt a lesson in solidarity and humanitarianism when we were struck at the core by the barbaric acts of the terrorists and, now, we're giving back this lesson by supporting Ignacio's family, who know that they always have a home here and people around them who appreciate his example of courage,” Valentín García said.

Ignacio was born in As Pontes after his Madrid-born family moved there for his father's job at the Endesa electricity plant, before they moved back to the capital.

He went to nursery school in the Galicia town and then to its primary school, the Colexio de A Madalena.

Photograph by As Pontes town hall