Flowers laid at Mandela statue in London

LONDON

People paid their respects to Nelson Mandela by placing flowers and lighting candles at the foot of his statue in Parliament Square in London.

When news of his death spread last night, people began congregating in Parliament Square which was packed Friday morning.

“I heard the news on Facebook. I knew he had not been well, but even still, it is a shock,” Kim Abrahams, a South African who has been living in London for five years, told Anadolu Agency (AA).

“If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be standing here today. I feel like I’ve lost a dad,” she added.

Speaking to AA, John from Hackney in London said, “He [Mandela] went beyond being a man and he is now a legend.”

In 2007, then Prime Minister Gordon Brown unveiled the Mandela statue at a ceremony in Parliament Square.

The British flag above Downing Street was flying at half-mast today alongside the South African flag. People stopped to spend a few minutes looking at the statue.

Messages and tributes were left on a board at the statue's foot with one simply reading, “Thank you Mandela, God bless you.”

Another message read, “Father to a nation, inspiration to the world.”

As politicians and British leaders give tributes to the late South African leader, British Prime Minister David Cameron said, “A great light has gone out in the world. Nelson Mandela was a hero of our time.”