France salutes ‘backpack hero’ who challenged Annecy knife attacker

Henri d’Anselme, who was seen on video trying to disarm man with bag before chasing him, says: ‘I didn’t even think about it’

He has been hailed in France as the “backpack hero”, a young man who challenged the knife-wielding attacker who stabbed four young children and two adults in a playground in Annecy.

Videos that circulated on social media before being removed as too distressing showed Henri d’Anselme, 24, chasing the man out of the park as parents screamed, and using his bag to try to disarm the knifeman before pursuing him.