London attack a terror incident
COUNTER terrorism police swarmed on Westminster early yesterday, after a car hit a group of pedestrians and ploughed at speed into a bollard outside the British Houses of Parliament.
The driver of the small silver hatchback remained inside the car while uniformed police initially warned people to move away, fearing it may contain explosives.
Heavily-armed officers surrounded the vehicle, aiming rifles at the man inside.
He appeared calm as he was arrested and led away from the vehicle in handcuffs (pictured).
Late last night Metropolitan Police Service confirmed it was being treated as a terrorist incident and that the man, aged in his late 20s, was “arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences”.
“At this stage, we are treating this as a terrorist incident and the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation,” a police statement said.
“There was nobody else in the vehicle, which remains at the scene and is being searched.
“No weapons have been recovered at this stage.”
Several high-value loca- tions exist in Westminster, with many important political premises in the area.
“At 0737hrs today, a car was in a collision with barriers outside the Houses of Parliament. The male driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene,” Scotland Yard said.
“A number of pedestrians have been injured.
“At this stage, officers do not believe that anybody is in a life-threatening condition.
“Cordons are in place to assist the investigation.”
An eyewitness told Sky News he believed the car had “deliberately” driven towards the pedestrians.
The incident evoked memories of terrorist incidents in London last year, including an attack at nearby Westminster Bridge in March in which 52year-old Khalid Masood drove a car into pedestrians on the pavement on the bridge then stabbed an unarmed police officer.