Multiple witnesses have told media that the people previously described as "horrified onlookers" were in fact a group of brave resort workers and locals, who formed a "human barricade" to protect holidaymakers in the city of Sousse.

As Rezgui stalked tourists on the beach with his Kalashnikov rifle, one hotel chef who joined the resistance was apparently warning him: "You'll have to get past us and we're Muslims", or words to that effect.

At least 39 people, mostly British nationals, were killed in Friday's terrorist attack, for which Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Rezgui had pledged his allegiance to IS in video materials.

The coastline around Sousse is a tourist hotspot, and tourists were Rezgui's targets.

There had been consternation about whether locals had done "enough" to halt the rampage. But John Yeoman, a British tourist who was on holiday in Sousse with his wife, sought to correct the record.

"Those in the background formed a human shield to protect another hotel they are not watching they saved many lives," he tweeted, including a photograph which had been published by Sky News and other news outlets around the world.

Mr Yeoman made it clear that he was not on the beach at the time, but was "told about this shortly after the attack". His Twitter account appeared to have been deleted or suspended on Monday.

Britain's Independent newspaper reported that Mr Yeoman's wife heard about the human barricade from another holidaymaker once they had returned to Manchester. That person, who had been on the beach at the time, also told Mrs Yeoman about the Tunisian chef who had tried to warn them of the unfolding horror.

"He was the one who told them that the line of people they could see ahead of them were staff from the hotel," Mrs Yeoman said.

"He said to this couple that they were telling the gunman: 'You'll have to get past us and we're Muslims.' Obviously I don't know the exact words but that was pretty much what they were saying.

"They'd actually made a human barricade - 'You're not going to get past us, you'll have to kill us.' "

Another British man on vacation at the beach wrote to Mr Yeoman to corroborate his account of the drama, the Independent reported.

"I'm with you - was on beach at Palm marina - whilst we were running to hide, hotel staff were running out to help, very brave," Ian Symes wrote.

A report in the British Telegraph newspaper identified jet-ski merchant Ibrahim el Ghoul as a local hero who had thrown stones at Rezgui.

According to the report, the 18-year-old ran up the beach towards where the attack was taking place, trying to bundle fleeing tourists into a boat before going after Rezgui on a jet-ski.

"The first thing I thought was: 'This is my work and I have to protect the guests,' " Mr el Ghoul told the paper.

Confronted by an armed Rezgui, he shielded four British tourists in his arms and yelled "Allahu Akbar", which prompted the terrorist to lower his gun, Mr el Ghoul said.

"Then I decided to go after him. So I took a jet-ski and caught up to where he was. He walked about five metres and stopped, turned around and said: 'I am not here to kill you. Turn around and go home.' That was the last thing I heard from him."

Born and bred in the seaside city of Sousse, Mr el Ghoul told the Telegraph he was not a hero.

"This was what I had to do," he said. "I love my country so much."