WESTMINSTER ATTACK
London on alert after car hits pedestrians near Parliament
Several people were injured when a car slammed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament in London last night.
Armed police swooped into the area and cordoned off streets surrounding the heart of Britain’s Government.
Officers were seen surrounding the vehicle before a man was arrested.
London police said the counterterrorism command was leading investigation. They appealed to the public to stay away, and the Westminster Tube station was closed.
A number of eyewitnesses said the car appeared to deliberately hit members of the public.
The Met Police said: “While we are keeping an open mind, the Met’s Counter-Terrorism Command is leading the investigation into the Westminster incident.” There were reports that cyclists were hit but police said there did not appear to be any life-threatening injuries. two people were treated at the scene and were taken to hospital.
The area was the site of a terror attack in March 2017 when Khalid Masood ploughed a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing four people. Masood abandoned his car and then stabbed and killed a police officer before being shot in a courtyard outside Parliament.
In last night’s incident, the car slammed into barriers that had been extended following the Westminster Bridge attack. Video from Sky News showed a man being detained.
Barry Williams told the BBC: “The car went onto the wrong side of the road to where cyclists were waiting at lights and ploughed into them.
“Then it swerved back across the road and accelerated as fast as possible and hit the barrier at full pelt.
“Then the police just jumped. Two officers managed to leap over the security barriers and then the armed police vehicles all sped towards the scene.”