Bono caught up in Nice attacks and rescued by antiterrorist police

‘Like everybody else, Bono had to put his hands on his head, and was told to remain calm’

Bono has a house in the nearby town of Eze and is believed to have been enjoying time off with friends when the atrocity took place (Getty)

The frontman of U2 Bono was rescued from a restaurant in Nice by antiterrorist police after becoming caught up in the Bastille Day massacre.

Bono, real name Paul David Hewson, was on the terrace of La Petite Maison, next to the seafront when mass murderer Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a lorry into a large crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day. A total of 84 people were killed and 202 injured.

Anne-Laure Rubi, the owner of the restaurant where Bono was, told La Parisienne magazine that by reflex she grabbed the arm of the former Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi who was sitting near Bono, 56. “What's going on?” she said. “He was on the phone. He didn't want to say much. I think he was just learning about the attack.”

“Like everybody else, Bono had to put his hands on his head, and was told to remain calm,” another diner said.

Ms Rubi said the police pulled the shutters down and requested all of those inside to stay calm. After some time, Bono was rescued by armed officers who escorted him to the neighbouring Massena square.

U2 posted a message on their Twitter account in the wake of the attacks a day later.

Bono has a house in the nearby town of Eze and is believed to have been enjoying time off with friends when the massacre took place.

A representative for Bono did not immediately respond to a request for comment.