A crew member who was seriously injured while protecting passengers in the Cambridgeshire train stabbing has regained consciousness.
The family of Samir 'Sam' Zitouni, was working on board the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) train from Doncaster to London when the attack began in Huntingdon on November 1.
Mr Zitouni was credited as saving "multiple lives" in the mass stabbing incident.
A GoFundMe page for the 48-year-old has already raised more than £50,761 towards its target of £60,000 as of Monday morning.
In a message posted on the GoFundMe page, Mr Zitouni’s family described him as "our hero."
The message, written by his wife Eleni, read: "Sam is a kind and courageous person who believes deeply in humanity.
"On November 1, Sam acted as a shield to protect the lives of others, risking not being able to return home to his beloved son.
"This is who Sam is, he would do the same for anyone, regardless of colour, age, gender, religion, or origin, even for those he does not know."
Samir 'Sam' Zitouni has regained consciousness
| LNERThe message added: "We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and support during this difficult time.
"Our sincere thanks go to the police department, and to the nurses and doctors at Addenbrooke’s Hospital for the excellent care given to Samir Zitouni.
"Many thanks to Sam’s colleagues from LNER for their kindness and all messages and prayers, thank you so much we feel your support."
Mr Zitouni’s role is customer experience host, which largely involves providing onboard catering.
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Mr Zitouni remains in hospital following the train attack on Saturday
| PASaturday’s attack is understood to have started shortly after the train left Peterborough station.
Passengers pulled the emergency alarms on the LNER service.
Train driver Andrew Johnson, who served in the Royal Navy for 17 years, contacted a signaller and requested an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon station.
A group of 10 patients were taken by ambulance to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge and one patient self-presented.
Anthony Williams was remanded in custody | PAStephen Crean, who received a serious injury after protecting a young girl in the stabbing, was given a standing ovation at Nottingham Forest's 3-1 victory over Leeds at the City Ground.
The stadium's main screen displayed Mr Crean's image whilst the crowd delivered a thunderous standing ovation.
This marked his first visit to the ground since the horrific incident just over a week ago that left him with multiple stab wounds sustained whilst defending fellow passengers.
Politicians have called for honours for Mr Zitouni and for Mr Crean, 61.
Stephen Crean was spotted in the stands at the City Ground
|PA
Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said in a post on social media: "Samir Zitouni and Stephen Crean are heroes who saved lives. They showed the best of Britain: putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
"They both deserve the George Cross in recognition of their incredible bravery."
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden called for Mr Zitouni to be "considered for recognition through the UK Honours system for acts of selfless and outstanding bravery" in a letter to the Cabinet Office shared on X.
Downing Street said bravery awards were a matter for the Honours Committee but "it’s very clear that this man’s bravery saved lives and we pay tribute to that".