Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

As it happenedended

London attack: Four people dead and 20 injured in Westminster terror incident

Samuel Osborne
Wednesday 22 March 2017 19:00 GMT
Comments
A body is covered by a sheet outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament
A body is covered by a sheet outside the Palace of Westminster, London, after a policeman was stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament (PA)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Four people were killed in the Westminster terror attack, police have confirmed.

The number includes the police officer who was stabbed and his attacker, Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley said.

The other two victims are understood to have died on the bridge, he added.

He also said at least 20 people had been injured.

Parliament goes into lockdown after Westminster attack

Mr Rowley also said police believed there to have been only one suspect, although he said they were carrying out thorough checks.

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 a policeman before he was shot by armed officers.

Eyewitnesses described scenes of terror when gunfire rang out as the attacker approached a second officer within yards of the Houses of Parliament.

Mr Rowley told reporters outside New Scotland Yard: "This was a day we've planned for but hoped would never happen. Sadly it is now a reality."

Paramedics fought to save the officer's life and that of his attacker on the floor of the cobbled courtyard in front of Parliament, with Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood among those who rushed to help.

The police officer was wheeled away on a stretcher with his face covered.

Mr Ellwood, who lost his brother in the Bali bombing, could be seen pumping the officer's chest then standing above him, his hands and face smeared with blood.

Other armed officers, some in plain clothes and wearing balaclavas, swarmed around the yard just feet from where MPs had earlier attended Prime Minister's Questions.

Follow the latest updates:

Please allow a moment for the live blog to load

Our corespondent Lizzie Dearden is making her way to Westminster.

She says people are calm despite multiple helicopters flying overhead. 

Samuel Osborne22 March 2017 15:22

Samuel Osborne22 March 2017 15:23

A witness, who was in the Commons for a job interview, told The Independent: "I was about to leave out of Westminster Hall then loads of people came through screaming."

He said they were tourists and are now being held in the Central Lobby.

Samuel Osborne22 March 2017 15:24

I'm in Westminster, where the air ambulance is has landed in Parliament square. Crowds pushed back more than 100m from bridge http://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7iEpl7W0AAKPor.jpg

Lizzie Dearden22 March 2017 15:26

Police now pushing people back further from Paliament Square 'for their own safety'

Lizzie Dearden22 March 2017 15:27

Eyewitness video has shown five people being "mown down" by a car on Westminster Bridge.

Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video to Twitter purporting to show people lying injured in the road on Westminster Bridge.

Mr Sikorski, a senior fellow at Harvard Centre for European Studies, said he saw at least five people lying on the ground after being "mown down" by a car.

"I heard what I thought what I thought was just a collision and then I looked through the window of the taxi and someone down, obviously in great distress," he told the BBC.

"Then I saw a second person down, and I started filming, then I saw three more people down, one of them bleeding profusely."

Samuel Osborne22 March 2017 15:27

In a pub in Westminster charging my phone - everyone watching the news

Jon Stone22 March 2017 15:29

.@POTUS has been briefed on the situation in the U.K. Continuing to monitor and update

Sarah Sanders22 March 2017 15:31

Deputy Presiding Officer Linda Fabiani says security at Holyrood is "under review" in light of Westminster incident

Chris Green22 March 2017 15:31

 Kevin Schofield, the editor of PoliticsHome.com heard "a very loud bang" from the press gallery inside the Houses of Parliament followed by lots of shouting and men running around.

He initially thought it was a car crash but then he looked outside the window to a heavily-guarded area outside which is out of bounds to the public.

He told Sky News: "Someone rushed through, attacked a policeman, a policeman went down, another policeman came and he was rescued.

"The man who had assaulted him got up and he appeared to be carrying either a knife or a gun. Then we heard gunfire, lots of gunfire, maybe five or six rounds.

"All I remember seeing is the man approaching the police officer probably with a knife and then there was gunfire.

"He was walking towards a second policeman with his arm outstretched, with what looked like a knife in his hand, having already assaulted another policeman.

"It was at that moment that you realised that something serious was happening - a man had broken in to Parliament and had a weapon."

Andrew Griffin22 March 2017 15:32

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in