A BRENTWOOD woman who was one of the last people ever to see Shoebury man Paul Gilbey in the Twin Towers on September 11 has spoken on the 10-year anniversary of the atrocities.

Unlike Paul, however, Euro Brokers colleague Janice Brooks managed to make it out of the south tower and survived the tragedy.

Since then she has appeared on TV documentaries to share her amazing story, including the award-winning A Tale of Two Towers, describing how she escaped from the 1,300ft skyscraper “by the skin of her teeth”.

Janice, 51, who lived in Brentwood before moving to New York shortly before the attacks, was helped into a lift by Paul.

Janice saw Paul in a lift lobby on the 70th floor when she and a group of other workers were trying to make their way out of the tower. Paul was on his way back up.

Janice, who went to the Chafford School in Rainham, recalled the final moments she spent with Paul.

She said: “I saw him turn into a stairwell and never saw him again.”

Janice made it safely down the only stairwell left intact in the south tower.

On the way down she and others stopped to save workers on other floors injured by the impact of the plane hitting the building.

At one point she heard a “bloodcurdling scream” coming from the other side of a trapped door She recalled: “We started pulling on one side while those on the other side pushed and it finally gave way.

“The first woman who came through the door had half her arm hanging off as though someone had sliced through her skin with a machete.

“Another man had huge pieces of glass embedded in his chest.

“I felt as though I was in a horror film, but still couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

“I kept telling myself if a plane had hit one of the towers the pilot must have had a heart attack.”

She added: “Ironically two days earlier I had gone up to the top floor of the towers to see the great view and I took some terrific photos as the sun was setting.

“The world felt like such a great place that day. How naive we were.”

Shortly after 9/11, Janice posted a message on Friends Reunited, thanking her school pals in Essex for their support.

She wrote: “I am alive by the skin of my teeth, but alive.

“Euro Brokers lost 61 wonderful people, so life in downtown Manhattan continues to be a struggle, we take each day at a time.

“We cry often, but take comfort in the fact we are all together.

“Strength at times like this, comes from knowing people love and care for you, and I am surrounded here in the office by 200 such people, the bond I now have with New York is stronger than ever, and while I know I will not be here forever, right now it’s my home.”