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 16:13 · Andrew Griffin]

Confirmation that at least one person has been killed in the attack comes through a doctor speaking to the Press Association.

[22 March 2017 16:13 · Andrew Griffin]

A report from Joe Watts, the Independent's political editor:

By 4pm, New Palace Yard, just inside the gates to the parliamentary estate, had been completely cordoned off. On one side of the driveway was an ambulance with all of its doors open and on the paving stones medical supplies lay next to what appeared to be a body covered by a white blanket.

Nearby the cordon, four armed police officers looked across at the scene while forensic officers collected evidence. Just outside the gates, around a dozen squad cars, three fire engines and other vehicles had parked up on parliament square with a flurry of officers and paramedics walked between them.

Just around the corner, on Westminster Bridge Road, the vehicle could still be seen where it had crashed into the fence of the parliamentary estate.

[22 March 2017 16:14 · Andrew Griffin]

The U.S. State Department says it is closely monitoring the incident outside London's Parliament and urged Americans in London to avoid the area. Spokesman Mark Toner said Wednesday: "We stand ready to assist in any way the U.K. authorities would find helpful." He added that the U.S. Embassy in London is closely following the news and stands ready to help any affected Americans. He said: "Our hearts go out to those affected."

[22 March 2017 16:15 · Andrew Griffin]

Multiple witnesses have confirmed to news organisations that a body was seen floating in the water near Westminster Bridge, following the attack.

[22 March 2017 16:15 · Andrew Griffin]

Matt Haikin, from London, 44, said he was in shock after seeing the aftermath of the crash on the bridge.He said: "I just saw a car that had clearly driven off the road into the fence outside Parliament."As I went past I noticed there was a body next to it and quite a lot of blood and people standing around."Fairly shortly after I heard some shots, at which point it was clear it wasn't just an accident, something else was going on."He then moved to look through the Palace of Westminster gates and saw "a lot of people, people in uniform, I think I saw a couple of bodies on the ground, I couldn't tell you if they'd been asked to lie down or if they were injured".

[22 March 2017 16:17 · Andrew Griffin]

Officials at the Scottish Parliament say that it will increase security with immediate effect after the attack, but that it has no intelligence to suggest there's a specific threat to Scotland.

[22 March 2017 16:19 · Andrew Griffin]

Witness Richard Tice said he "counted between eight and 10 prostrate figures on the ground" after he came out of Westminster underground station and moved on to Westminster Bridge.He told Sky News: "My understanding from someone who was standing next to me was that a car had driven along the whole pavement knocking people over and that is why there were many injuries. The people lying on the ground were starting to be attended to by a paramedic."

[22 March 2017 16:20 · hilarybennmp]

[22 March 2017 16:21 · Andrew Griffin]

MPs are still lcoked inside the chamber, after Parliament was placed in lockdown immediately after the attack, Hilary Benn MP has confirmed.

[22 March 2017 16:22 · Andrew Griffin]

Several people are being treated for "catastrophic" injuries after the attack, according to a junior doctor speaking to the Press Associaiton. That is in addition to the one woman already confirmed dead.