British envoys lay wreath at bomb scene

British Foreign Office confirms that the sole death in terrorist attack at Jerusalem bus stop, Mary Jane Gardner, was a British national.

By JPOST.COM STAFF

MARCH 25, 2011 02:44

British at Jerusalem bombing site 311 (photo credit: MELANIE LIDMAN) — British at Jerusalem bombing site 311

(photo credit: MELANIE LIDMAN)

British Ambassador to Israel Matthew Gould and Consul-General to Jerusalem Sir Vincent Fean laid a wreath on Thursday afternoon at the scene of Wednesday’s terror attack in the capital.

The British Foreign Office confirmed Thursday that a UK national, Mary Jane Gardner, died in the terror attack, which also left dozens wounded.

Gardner, 59, was from Orkney in Scotland and was studying at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

She lived in the dormitories. According to British reports, she was an evangelical Christian studying Hebrew to get a better understanding of the Bible.

According to the Telegraph, Gardner had spent more than 10 years in Togo, West Africa. She had already translated the New Testament into Ife, one of the languages spoken in Togo, finishing in 2009.

The UK’s Foreign Office said that Gardner’s next of kin had been informed and that her family was being provided consular assistance.

“We utterly condemn this attack,” said Fean following the wreath-laying. “What we saw here yesterday was a painful reminder of decades of violence experienced by the residents of this holy city.

We hope and pray that we will not see a return to those dark days.”

Jonny Paul contributed to this report.