A Coverdale family have told how they avoided being caught up in a terrorism attack by minutes because their itinerary was changed when FC Barcelona announced a new signing.
James and Amanda Simpson, and their four children, were on a tour of the city on Thursday and were due to visit FC Barcelona’s Nou Camp stadium before going into the city centre.
However, the tour was changed because the football club were announcing a new player, Brazilian midfielder Paulinho.
This meant the family went into the city first and visited Las Ramblas, the street which was the scene of the first terrorist attack, before going to the stadium.
They left the street 30 minutes before the van was driven down the popular tourist areas, killing 13 people and injuring 100 others.
Amanda said: “We would have been on Las Ramblas at the time of the attack if the tour hadn’t been changed.
“It took us three hours to get out of Barcelona on the coach last night – there was police everywhere.”
The Simpsons are staying in Salou which is around five miles from the second terrorist attack yesterday in Cambrils. The terrorists again drove a vehicle into crowds, leaving one dead and at seven wounded.
Amanda said: “A rep at our hotel lives in Cambrils and was stopped at gun point last night before they ended up shooting the suspects.
“When they realised they were civilians they told them to drive as fast as they could the other way.”
James added that they had been scheduled to visit Barcelona last Saturday but instead went to a pub to watch Burnley beat Chelsea.
