London attack as it happened: Five dead and 40 injured after terror incident in Westminster

Westminster terror attack: Timeline of events

A police officer has been stabbed and an alleged assailant shot by armed police outside the Houses of Parliament.

Here's what we know so far:

• Police officer died after being stabbed outside Parliament
• Two people reported dead after a car ploughed into crowd on Westminster bridge causing multiple casualties
• Metropolitan police are treating this as a terrorist incident
• Eyewitness account of the stabbing incident outside Parliament gate
• Donald Trump has been briefed on the attack, Sean Spicer confirms
• Theresa May was '40 yards away' from scene of stabbing, was immediately evacuated and confirmed safe
• House of Commons session suspended and MPs evacuated

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Commons Leader David Lidington has told MPs a "police officer has been stabbed" and the "alleged assailant was shot by armed police" following a "serious" incident within the parliamentary estate.

Minutes later, an emergency services helicopter landed in Parliament Square, as sirens were heard outside.

Iframe:

Air ambulance medics came from the helicopter to assist the casualties.

A woman was confirmed dead after a car ploughed into corwds on Westminster Bridge causing multiple casualties (Reuters)

Two people lay on the ground in the yard. One of them appeared to have had clothes removed as emergency workers attempted to resuscitate the pair.

Parliament Square was closed to traffic.

[22 March 2017 15:07 · Samuel Osborne]

Press Association reporter Laura Harding, who was in Westminster at the time of the incident, said: "Everyone has been evacuated into Central Lobby, including a group of schoolchildren and kitchen staff.

"Around 15 schoolchildren aged around 10, with armed police coming through the lobby now.

"The children are really calm, the teachers are comforting them.

"Everyone is standing around on their phones.

"There are also a bunch of young people from the Hammersmith Boxing Club in their tracksuits and the British Lionhearts boxing group."

[22 March 2017 15:08 · Samuel Osborne]

Dennis Burns, who was just entering Parliament for a meeting when the security alert happened, told the Press Association: "As I was coming through the doors at Portcullis House, a policeman grabbed someone who was coming in and threw him out.

"As we were coming though the glass doors I was told by one security guard to get out while another one told me to get in.

"As I walked in I heard a security guard get a radio message saying 'a policeman has been stabbed'.

"Then I walked in as police officers and security start rushing out of the front doors on to the street.

"When I got inside I was wondering what the hell was going on and I saw dozens of panicked people running down the street. The first stream was around 30 people and the second stream was 70 people.

"It looked like they were running for their lives."

[22 March 2017 15:09 · Samuel Osborne]

[22 March 2017 15:10 · Samuel Osborne]

[22 March 2017 15:11 · Samuel Osborne]

[22 March 2017 15:12 · Samuel Osborne]

[22 March 2017 15:15 · Samuel Osborne]

An eyewitness reported seeing Theresa May being bundled into a car following the shooting. 

Others saw people running down Embankment from Westminster Bridge. Two ambulances are currently on the bridge treating the injured. 

[22 March 2017 15:18 · Samuel Osborne]

[22 March 2017 15:19 · Samuel Osborne]

Pictures have been released of paramedics desperately trying to revive an injured person in New Palace Yard.

[22 March 2017 15:21 · Ashley Cowburn]

Press Gallery still in lockdown in the Commons. Still not clear what happened but quite clearly heard multiple shots fired and a loud bang.