Two victims of the Manchester synagogue terror attack have been praised as heroes for shielding worshippers.

Adrian Daulby, 53, and Melvin Cravitz, 66, were both killed outside the Heaton Park synagogue protecting worshippers on Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Mr Daulby was accidentally struck by a bullet fired by the police as he barricaded the door to protect fellow members of the congregation on Thursday morning.

Greater Manchester police hailed the victim as "brave" who "prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises".

The force said: "Adrian was one of the brave worshippers attending the synagogue at the time of incident and prevented the attacker from gaining access to the premises.

"It is currently believed that Adrian’s injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by our officers to bring a vicious attack to an end.”

In a touching tribute, his family said: "Adrian Daulby was a hero and tragically lost his life in the act of courage to save others, he was a beloved brother, loving uncle to his four nieces and one nephew and a cherished cousin.

"The family is shocked by the tragic, sudden death of such a lovely down to earth man. His final act was one of profound courage and he will forever be remembered for his heroic act on Thursday, October 2, 2025."

Adrian Daulby was accidentally struck by a bullet fired by the police as he barricaded the door to protect fellow members of the congregation on Thursday morning

Brian Bell, a member of the synagogue’s executive, said: "He was an unassuming member of the synagogue who actually rose to the terrible danger because he ran to close all the doors, back and front."

He added: “This was the one time in living memory that he had arrived at the beginning of the service and then he was attacked at the gate.”

Mr Daulby has recently started attending services again after his father died in 2022 and lived close by the synagogue.

He had lived at the same address since he was a child, according to a neighbour.

Waqas Hussain, 32, who lived a few doors down from Mr Cravitz, said: 'He was such a lovely, model neighbour'

The neighbour, John Kelly, 52, said: "I’ve known him since he was six or seven.”

Another neighbour, Hussain Shahzad, 27, said: "I spoke to him on Tuesday and … because he was not feeling too good, he was not going to fast [for Yom Kippur]. He was debating if he was going to the synagogue or not."

Residents in the area are a mix of Jewish, Muslim, and Christian families who take pride in the close relationships they have formed, according to the Times.

Waqas Hussain, 32, who lived a few doors down from Mr Cravitz, said: "He was such a lovely, model neighbour.

"We have an annual event here, similar to Christmas but on the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday, and whenever we would put the lights on, every single year, Melvin would walk past to make a comment and say it looked absolutely beautiful and ask if he could take a picture."

The families have asked for privacy while they grieve their losses

His sister added: "Melvin was the guy who made sure everyone’s bins were out. If it’s raining and we needed to bring the clothes in, he’d knock on our door and let us know."

Bernard Agyemang, a Christian security guard originally from Ghana, was also injured in the attack.

Mr Bell told the Times: "I know him very well. He is a private security guard and he’s also been seriously injured. He’s been a regular paid security guard for the last couple of years. I stand on the gate with him most weeks.

"Just the nicest guy in the world who literally put his life on the line, placed himself between the attacker and the gate to save others. He’s another hero.”

The two other surviving victims of the attack have been named locally as Andrew Franks and Yoni Finlay.

The families have asked for privacy while they grieve their losses.