WORLD Terrorist alert on London car crash
A MAN has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a car crashed into security barriers outside Britain’s Houses of Parliament in London yesterday.
Police detained the driver, a man in his late 20s, and he was taken to a south London station for questioning.
London Ambulance Service said it had taken two people to hospital with non life- threatening injuries after cyclists and pedestrians were hit.
Neither of those hurt were believed to have suffered serious injuries and police said they were trying to piece together what had happened.
“While we are keeping an open mind, the Met’s CounterTerrorism Command is leading the investigation into the # Westminster incident,” London’s Metropolitan Police said on Twitter.
Eyewitness Jason Williams said the car had struck a barrier on a lane used for access to the parliament building with force. He said he thought it was deliberate.
“It’s a very serious dent,” Williams said.
“There was smoke coming from the vehicle.”
The area was yesterday in lockdown after armed police swarmed the scene during the morning.
Images posted to social media showed the suspect, wearing a black puffer jacket, surrounded by officers and being led away in handcuffs from a silver- coloured Ford. inci-
Other footage showed a cyclist lying on the street. “I saw the cyclists, injured cyclists. I’ve seen people, about 10, on the road, lying down, but I haven’t seen any fatalities,” Williams said.
Westminster Underground station, close to Parliament, was closed to the public and the building cordoned off.
Parliament is in summer recess and most MP are not using the building. Prime Minister Theresa May is on holiday abroad but tweeted to say her thoughts were with those injured during the incident.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also thanked “the first responders who were on the scene so quickly,” adding that he was in close contact with Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick.
In March 2017, Khalid Masood, 52, killed four people on nearby Westminster Bridge before he stabbed to death an unarmed police officer in the grounds of parliament.
He was shot dead at the scene. It was the first of five attacks in the UK last year which police blamed on terrorism.