London attack as it happened: Five dead and 40 injured after terror incident in Westminster
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.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
Please allow a moment for the live blog to load
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.
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.
The London Eye is in lockdown, and most of the attractions around the area are thought to be doing the same 
1/5 There is an ongoing incident on Westminster Bridge and in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster
- Reply
- Retweet
- Favorite
2/5 This is an ongoing incident and, as yet, we cannot provide any firm details as to what has transpired
- Reply
- Retweet
- Favorite
3/5 At present we are holding all of our guests within our attractions as per tried and tested security procedures.
- Reply
- Retweet
- Favorite
4/5 The safety and security of our guests and staff will always be our number one priority.
- Reply
- Retweet
- Favorite
5/5 We will update as frequently as possible.
- Reply
- Retweet
- Favorite
Theresa May's spokesman: "The Prime Minister was brought back to Number 10 from Parliament. She is currently monitoring the situation."And: The office of the Serjeant at Arms, who handles security in the House of Commons, said: "We are aware that there has been an incident that has taken place."At this early stage, we cannot comment further."
Here is a report from Tom Peck, The Independent's political sketchwriter, who works from Westminster:
Within half an hour parliament was in lockdown. The chamber cleared of MPs, the restaurants of diners. Parliamentary passes no longer opened any door, any gate.
Westminster's press offices occupy the top floor of the palace along from Big Ben and round to Westminster Hall, right over the courtyard where a car smashed into a gate, tourists and pedestrians screamed and, seconds later gunshots were heard.
Chefs, maintenance men, reporters massed at the windows. One had a video of the Prime Minister's car, understood to be Theresa May hurriedly driven away.
Ambulance staff treated a man by the entrance to Westminster Palace, at least thirty metres inside the perimeter.
Half an hour after the incident, along the Committee Corridor, where MPs meet for meetings all week, another wave of shouting could be heard. Through the windows, anti-terror police could be seen, in their air force blue uniforms, barking instructions to one another, apparently securing the building.
Van driver Mitchell Spree, 27, told The Independent he was driving along Embankment when he saw people being evacuated from nearby buildings.He said: "Then we pulled on to the bridge. A lady was laying at the entrance to the bridge. There was about five more people."She was crying. She was speaking to the paramedic. I don't know what the others were like. The police asked us to leave our van. It's still on the bridge."It's shocking."A second witness, Tawhid Tanim, told The Independent he heard three shots - "bang, bang, bang" - some 10 or 15 metres from the Cafe Nero coffee bar where he was waiting for friends.He said: "It was so loud. People were running like crazy."He saw the aftermath of the car striking railings outside Parliament, he said. Whether someone, or something, was underneath, he could not be sure."I couldn't see it properly. I started running."Police officers told the crowds to "just keep running," he said.
Jess, 19, says she heard two gunshots before police started arriving and pushing them back.
Another group of students had headed on to Westminster Bridge, where one is feared to have been injured
PA reports that an announcement in Parliament said there was a suspicious package in a vehicle and the bomb squad had been called which halted a planned evacuation.
'We came this way, they went that way,' says Brad, 19. 'We just want to know if our friend is ok'
