London terror attack live updates: Seven killed in London Bridge and Borough Market before armed police shoot three suspects dead

Prime Minister warns Britain is in the grip of a spate of copycat terror attacks

London terror attack: Everything we know so far

At least seven people were killed and dozens more injured after a van drove into pedestrians on London Bridge and several men then started stabbing passersby in what police said was a terrorist attack.

The incident began on London Bridge when a white transit-style van drove into a crowd of people "at about 50mph", according to witnesses.

Police said the van then drove to the nearby Borough Market where three men began attacking people. Three suspects were shot dead by armed police.

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Three men have been shot dead after killing seven and injuring 48 more with a van and knife attack in London.

The killings on Saturday night were the second terrorist atrocity to hit the country in as many weeks after 22 were killed at an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester.

Attackers brought carnage to the streets of the capital, stabbing a police officer and revellers with 12-inch knives, reportedly shouting "this is for Allah".

The trio were pictured wearing what appeared to be explosive vests, with Scotland Yard later confirming they were hoaxes.

Armed police rushed to the scene and shot dead the three male attackers in the Borough Market area near the bridge, as authorities urged Londoners on Twitter to "run, hide, tell" if they were caught up in the violence.

The attacks came just five days ahead of a national parliamentary election on Thursday. The ruling Conservative Party suspended national campaigning on Sunday, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said.

"Following updates from police and security officials, I can confirm that the terrible incident in London is being treated as a potential act of terrorism," Ms May said in a statement as events unfolded.

The killings also occurred less than two weeks after a suicide bomber killed 22 people at a pop concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande in Manchester in northern England.

The BBC showed a photograph of two possible attackers shot by police, one of whom had canisters strapped to his body. Hours after the attack the area remained sealed off and patrolled by armed police and counter-terrorism officers.

The London Ambulance Service said 48 people had been taken to five hospitals across the city and a number of others had been treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Streets around London Bridge and Borough Market, an area that is a major transport hub and is packed with bars and restaurants, was busy with people on a night out.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke of a "cowardly attack on innocent Londoners and visitors to our city enjoying their Saturday night".

Key Points

• Isis claims responsibility saying a 'detachment' of its fighters carried out attack
• Canadian Christine Archibald named as one of those killed
• Witness: 'I looked terrorist directly in the eye - then he started walking towards us'
• Jeremy Corbyn tells Theresa May 'you cannot protect public on the cheap'
• Theresa May says attack shows Britain is too tolerant of extremism
• Internet must now be regulated, Prime Minister says
• Donald Trump tweets unconfirmed reports before using attack to promote travel ban
• Seven people killed after van crashes into public and passersby are stabbed
• Timeline of events
• What we know so far

[4 June 2017 02:05 · Andrew Griffin]

Two of those people spoken to by Lizzie – an older couple from Auckland – said they were coming out of London Bridge station when they heard shots."We came down the escalators from the shard and police were shouting get back, for your own safety get back," said one, who preferred not to be named. "Everyone turned round and started running.

"No one knew what was going on."

[4 June 2017 02:06 · Andrew Griffin]

"Later we saw a police woman spewing her guts up round the corner," the couple said. "God knows what she'd seen."

[4 June 2017 02:08 · Andrew Griffin]

Below is a picture being shared online of what appears to be a man caught up in the attack lying on the ground. On his chest is what seems to be canisters. Lying behind him is another person on the ground.It's not clear how the man was involved in the attack or how he came to be on the ground.

[4 June 2017 02:09 · Andrew Griffin]

'When we came here we knew there could be problems - Manchester was last week," the couple told Lizzie.

"But it's lovely here, we've had a nice time and your police are great. They're so calm and have been helping us.

"And at the end of the day were still here - other people aren't."

[4 June 2017 02:10 · Andrew Griffin]

The very loud bangs that were heard in the area earlier were controlled explosions, according to our reporter on the scene.

[4 June 2017 02:21 · Ed Malyon]

Australia's foreign minister Julie Bishop describes the attacks as a "shocking situation." "We stand ready to support the British Government as it responds to these attacks and our thoughts are with those injured and their families," she says

[4 June 2017 02:29 · Ed Malyon]

A man called Gerard tells the BBC: “I saw a geezer on the floor, going ‘I’ve been stabbed, I’ve been stabbed’. I saw blood coming down him… and next thing I saw these three Muslim guys with knives.“They ran up and started stabbing this girl, three of them. I was defenceless, I couldn’t do nothing mate.“They attacked her and then they stabbed another guy if I remember rightly.“I started going ‘everybody run, terrorists, terrorists, run, run, run, they are stabbing everyone.’”

[4 June 2017 02:43 · Ed Malyon]

At least 20 people have been taken to six hospitals, London Ambulance Service says

[4 June 2017 02:48 · Ed Malyon]

An Italian restaurant chef tells The Independent’s Lizzie Dearden: “We heard a shooting and we ran into the basement and took the customers.“Then police said we could come put. There were people all outside the restaurant. One had been stabbed in the back, others in their legs. They were bleeding. “We were on our way out and then we heard gunshots from the other way (Southwark Bridge Road) so we went back down in the basement.“Then police said we could come out again but the customers were saying ‘why? the first time you said we were safe we weren't safe’. “The shootings were quite a long way apart, maybe 20 minutes half an hour.”He says he is worried because he cannot get back into the restaurant and the oven is still on.

[4 June 2017 03:14 · Ed Malyon]

A Whitehall source tells The Independent's defence editor, Kim Sengupta, that there will "be demands to know ... why the terrorism assessment was reduced" from critical to severe. Read more here: