Survivor of Westminster terror attack Melissa Cochran cries as she speaks for the first time about the 'love of her life husband' who was murdered on the bridge 

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An American tourist, who survived London's terror attack, broke down in tears as she spoke about the 'love of her life husband' who was killed on the bridge.

In her first interview since the horrific events two weeks, Mellisa Cochran said she bears no grudge against terrorist Khalid Masood - the man who murdered her husband Kurt.

Mrs Cochran, from Utah, has had to learn to walk again in hospital after surgery on her leg and said her family are keeping her strong as she recovers from the loss of her husband and her own physical injuries.

Mrs Cochran said she bears no grudge against the man who killed her husband Kurt

In newly released pictures Melissa Cochran can be seen slowly making her way up the stairs with the aid of two crutches and a nurse as she recovers from her injuries at a London hospital 

She told the BBC: 'I'm extremely proud of him and very happy that the world now knows what a wonderful man he was. He would probably hate all the publicity. He was a very private man. He was kind, generous and sweet and the love of my life .

'Fortunately I have a wonderful family and am able to take their strength and recover. Kurt would have wanted me to keep going.

'I don't feel any ill will to him. I can't relate I just know that he didn't have the qualities and beautiful heart my husband had. I feel sorry for him. No hate.' 

Mrs Cochran had not been told what had happened to her husband until her family arrived at the hospital.

She said: 'It was after my surgery on my leg. I had come out of recovery and they placed me in a hospital room and my parents had come to visit and were there waiting for me when I came out.

'I asked them to find out what had happened to my husband. Previously no-one could tell me - no-one had any information. My parents came back in the room and both held my hands and said that he didn't make it, which crushed me.

'Fortunately I have a wonderful family so I am able to take their strength and recover. It has been difficult, obviously, but Kurt would have wanted me to keep going and with such a beautiful family that I have it's been okay.'

Mrs Cochran, from Utah, is said to be 'getting stronger every day' and images were also released of her smiling and waving her crutches above her head on Saturday

In a picture taken on Saturday, Mrs Cochran can be seen slowly making her way up the stairs with the aid of two crutches and a nurse as she recovers from her injuries.

A second picture shows her smiling at the bottom of the staircase being hugged by a relative with one of her legs still in a metal brace.

Mrs Cochran, from Utah, is said to be 'getting stronger every day'.

It was the first time she has been seen outside her hospital room since the horrific terror attack in central London, which saw Masood mow down innocent people walking along Westminster Bridge on March 22.

The 46-year-old's husband, Kurt, died on the final day of the couple's European trip to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. He was thrown onto a concrete underpass.

Mrs Cochran spoke to the BBC today - her first interview since the Westminster terror attack

Melissa Cochran, from Utah, is seen smiling and waving her crutches above her head on Saturday. This is the first image of the 46-year-old outside the hospital where she is recovering from her injuries after London's terror attack that left her with a broken leg and widowed

Meanwhile, Melissa Cochran was left with a broken leg and a gashed head. A photograph of her being comforted by a passerby on the sidewalk in the aftermath became one of the defining images of the attack.

Her family has thanked people for the 'outpouring of love and generosity' they have shown for her and her late husband. 

On Friday, the first images of the widow were revealed and showed her smiling while standing on crutches with her left leg in a cage after an operation. 

Melissa Cochran says she is 'getting stronger every day' after losing her husband Kurt Cochran on March 22, where Khalid Masood mowed down innocent people on Westminster Bridge. She was pictured for the first time since the attack on Friday

She has also thanked people from all around the world for the 'outpouring of love and generosity' they have shown her and Kurt

Shocking: Mrs Cochran was left with a broken leg and rib and a badly cut head after the collision and was comforted on the pavement in one of the defining images of the attack

Much loved: Kurt and Melissa Cochran from Utah were among those run over by Khalid Masood. Kurt died while his wife was rushed to hospital with broken bones and a cut head

In the other she is shown smiling in bed while taking a selfie surrounded by her family and friends.

Her brother Clint Payne said on the family's GoFundMe page: 'Her health is steadily improving and she has been strengthened by the presence of her family. She is so grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity.

'So many people have been so kind, and we are deeply touched by their goodness and generosity.

'The most difficult part of all of this is that Kurt is no longer with us, and we miss him terribly. He was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place.' 

Members of her family gathered at New Scotland Yard – and just 100 yards from the scene of the carnage – to thank all those who had helped them in recent days.

Family members of American tourist Kurt Cochran, who was killed during the Westminster attack, embrace each other 

Clint Payne, Mr Cochran's brother-in-law, appeared with twelve other members of the family at a press conference and said: 'This has been a humbling and difficult experience but we have felt the love of so many people during these past several days. It's been a tender experience for our family to be together with Melissa here.

'Her health is steadily improving and she has been strengthened by the presence of her family. She is so grateful for the outpouring of love and generosity.'

Mr Payne thanked paramedics, medical personnel and all those who had helped them since the attack as it emerged the couple were fulfilling a dream to go sightseeing in London when tragedy struck.

'The most difficult part of all of this is that Kurt is no longer with us and we miss him terribly,' added Mr Payne. 'He was an amazing individual who loved everyone and tried to make the world a better place.'

The family refused to be angry or bitter about the horrific circumstances of Mr Cochran's death, saying they were determined to concentrate on the positives of his life. Pictured, left to right, family member Jason McFarland, Melissa Cochran's sister Sara Payne-McFarland, relatives Jennifer Burton, Angela Stoll and Melissa's parents Sandra Payne and Dimmon Payne

Mr Cochran and his wife had run a recording studio from their Utah home for 10 years - his family say he would had no ill will towards his killers

It emerged that the couple had been visiting Mrs Cochran's parents Sandra and Dimmon who have been working for four months as missionaries at the London Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Kurt and Melissa – also known as 'Missy' - were visiting London and other parts of Europe for the first time after arriving in Britain on March 3 before visiting Scotland, Ireland Belgium, Holland and Germany.

However, members of the family refused to condemn killer Masood or his actions as Clint Payne added: 'There is no ill feeling. We wouldn't bear ill feelings towards anyone and we can draw strength as a family from that.

An inquest has been opened into the death of Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood, who died from a gunshot wound 

'Kurt's whole life was an example of focusing on the positive – not pretending that negative things don't exist but not living our life in the negative – that's what we chose to do.'

Westminster terrorist Khalid Masood was killed by a single gunshot wound to the chest, a court heard.

The 52-year-old killer was pronounced dead at 3.35pm – just under an hour after he embarked on his murderous mission on Westminster Bridge and the Houses of Parliament, an inquest into his death was told.

Westminster Coroner Dr Fiona Wilcox also took the unusual step of offering her sympathies to Masood's family, 'who are also victims of this incident'.

Coroners Officers Eric Sword told inquest that the terrorist had been identified by 'finger prints and DNA'.

Masood was taken to St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, where he was later pronounced dead. 

Mr Sword said: 'The cause of death was gun-shot wound to the chest. His time of death was recorded at 15.35.'

Detective Superintendent John Crossley gave the court a summary of the events that left four people dead – Kurt Cochrane, Aysha Frade, Leslie Rhodes and PC Keith Palmer – and over 35 injured.

The Counter Terrorist Bureau detective said: 'On Wednesday 22 March 2017 at approx 2.40pm a male drove a Hyundai motor vehicle, registration EK66 RWO, northbound over Westminster Bridge towards the Houses of Parliament.

'The driver mounted the pavement twice in the an apparently deliberate attempt to target pedestrians, before mounting the pavement for a final time and crashing his vehicle into the east parliament gates of the Houses of Parliament.'

Masood died in St Mary's Hospital after being shot in the chest during the attack last week

The aftermath of the attack in which Masood (top) was shot after stabbing PC Palmer (right)

US tourist Kurt Cochran and mother Aysha Frade died after Masood drove across the bridge

PC Keith Palmer (left) was stabbed beneath Big Ben. Pensioner Leslie Rhodes died the next day

Det Supt Crossley said there were some 140 'significant witnesses' to the carnage out of a potential 1,500 potential witnesses to the 82-second terror attack.

PC Keith Palmer, 48, was stabbed, American tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, and Aysha Frade, 44, died from multiple injuries that afternoon and retired window cleaner Leslie Rhodes, 75, died later in hospital of his injuries.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission has launched an investigation into Masood's death and will report directly to senior coroner Dr Wilcox, the court heard.

No member of Masood's family attended the 15-minute hearing at Westminster's Coroners Court but Dr Wilcox offered them her sympathies.

She told the court: 'I take a moment to pass my sympathies to the family o Masood, who are also all victims of this incident.'

The inquest was adjourned until May and will be heard in full at the Royal Courts of Justice.

Earlier in his life, Masood, formerly called Adrian Elms, had lived in Tunbridge Wells, Kent and Rye and Eastbourne, East Sussex, where he picked up a number of convictions for petty crime and violence.

After having two children with a previous partner, he was jailed twice and is understood to have converted to Islam while in prison.

Upon his release, he married a Muslim woman and travelled to Saudi Arabia to teach English.

In the years before his attack, he lived near a number of known radicals in Luton before travelling between homes in east London and Birmingham.

It also emerged today that Masood was, as he claimed on his CV, a graduate, having received a bachelor degree in economic history in the 1990s.