Four people, including an armed police officer, have been killed after a knifeman brought terror to the heart of Westminster.
The attacker, armed with two large knives, mowed down pedestrians with his car on Westminster Bridge, including schoolchildren, then rushed at the gates in front of the Houses of Parliament, stabbing the policeman before being shot dead by other officers.
Eyewitnesses described horrific scenes as the attacker was shot several times as he approached a second officer within yards of the Houses of Parliament.
Around three shots rang out outside the Palace of Westminster after a man ran through the gates into the front yard of the parliamentary compound waving a knife.
Two people were seen being treated on the ground in New Palace Yard amid shouts and screams.
An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square and a regular ambulance came in through the front gates as medics rushed to help the injured people.
Thanks everyone for kind messages. Am fine but worried about those hurt. So very thankful for our brilliant and dedicated police and staff.
— Alison McGovern (@Alison_McGovern) March 22, 2017
Armed police cleared the area around the incident and Parliament Square was closed to traffic.
A Downing Street source confirmed that Prime Minister Theresa May was “OK”.
Mrs May was seen being ushered into a silver Jaguar car as what sounded like gunfire rang out at Parliament during the incident at around 2.45pm.
I am safe and well, currently on lockdown in the Commons chamber with colleagues. Shocking events - thoughts go out to all those affected.
— Steve Rotheram MP (@Steve4LCRmayor) March 22, 2017
As the sitting in the House of Commons was suspended, Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs: “What I am able to say to the House is there has been a serious incident within the estate.
“It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police. An air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties.
“There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it’d be wrong of me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the House security authorities about what is going on.”
Witnesses described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife and running.
If you have photos or film of the incident in #Westminster please make sure you pass them to police https://t.co/l9dn1FQr7B
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 22, 2017
Jayne Wilkinson said: “We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.
“And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.
"He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt.
“He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.”
As we continue to respond to the incident in #Westminster please only call for an ambulance in a genuine emergency.
— London Ambulance (@Ldn_Ambulance) March 22, 2017
Her partner David Turner added: “There was a stampede of people running out. You saw the people and you thought ‘what the hell is going on’.”
After the incident, Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video to Twitter purporting to show people lying injured in the road on Westminster Bridge.
Incident in #Westminster: We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 22, 2017
Mr Sikorski, a senior fellow at Harvard’s Centre for European Studies, wrote: “A car on Westminster Bridge has just mowed down at least 5 people.”
Press Association Political Editor Andrew Woodcock witnessed the scenes unfolding from his office window overlooking New Palace Yard.
“I heard shouts and screams from outside and looked out, and there was a group of maybe 40 or 50 people running round the corner from Bridge Street into Parliament Square,” said Mr Woodcock.
“They appeared to be running away from something. As the group arrived at the Carriage Gates, where policemen are posted at the security entrance, a man suddenly ran out of the crowd and into the yard. He seemed to be holding up a long kitchen knife.
“I heard what sounded like shots – I think about three of them – and then the next thing I knew there were two people lying on the ground and others running to help them.
"Armed police were quickly on the scene and I heard them shouting to people to get out of the Yard.”
The Prime Minister was seen getting into the back of a silver Jaguar before driving off – first apparently heading to Black Rod’s entrance but then turning towards Carriage Gates, near to where the incident took place.
What we know so far:
One woman was killed on Westminster Bridge after a number of pedestrians were mowed down by a car.
It is believed a second person was killed in the incident on the bridge.
Another woman ended up in the Thames and was treated for serious injuries after being pulled from the water.
A group of French schoolchildren were among those targeted on the bridge.
The attacker jumped out the car and fatally stabbed a police officer in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster.
The knifeman was shot dead moments later by another officer.
Police are treating the incident as a terrorist attack.
Prime Minister Theresa May will be chairing a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee.
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