Pedestrian zone plans after second terrorist attack near UK parliament
▶ Calls to beef up security around government and judicial buildings after driver rammed cyclists
Authorities are considering turning the area near the British parliament into a car-free zone after a second terrorist attack in 18 months injured at least three cyclists.
Salih Khater, 29, a Briton originally from Sudan, was yesterday being held by police for attempted murder and terrorist offences.
Mr Khater ploughed his car through a group of cyclists on Tuesday morning before crashing into a security barrier outside parliament.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said he was a long-term supporter of making the area in front of parliament partly pedestrian-only. The area is also close to government buildings, Westminster Abbey and the UK’s Supreme Court.
Mr Khan said he wanted to make sure “we don’t lose the wonderful thing about our democracy, which is people having access to parliamentarians, people being able to lobby parliament, visitors being able to come and visit parliament”.
The head of London’s police force, Cressida Dick, said security around parliament had been increased in recent months and there was “more to come”, with discussions on making the area a car-free zone.
“As with anything, there is a balance to be drawn,” Ms Dick said. “Vehicles are on our streets all the time. We have crowds on our streets as well.
“Terrorists want us to completely change our way of life. They want us to be afraid and they want us to stop doing what we want to do to lead a normal life in the UK.”
Paul Jeffrey, the chairman of the trade body responsible for anti-terrorism barriers, said that converting the area in front of parliament into a pedestrian-only zone was the only answer to the attacks using cars.
“With all security you don’t solve the problem, you only move it on,” said Mr Jeffrey, who leads the Perimeter Security Suppliers Association.
“You see it with embassy protection. You fortify the US embassy and you make the British embassy more vulnerable.
“I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing to pander to the terrorists.”
Mr Khater’s Facebook profile said that he studied in Sudan before working in a shop in Britain, but gave no indication of any extremist views. The page was taken down yesterday.
Police said he had driven from his home in Birmingham and toured around the Westminster area for more than 90 minutes before the crash.
Security was increased at parliament last year after Khalid Masood, a British-born terrorist, mowed down pedestrians and then stabbed a police officer, killing five people.
Less than three months later, a group of three men used a van to knock down tourists on London Bridge before stabbing revellers, killing eight people.
The Palace of Westminster is vulnerable to attack because the buildings are bound on three sides by roads. Security experts said temporary crash barriers outside parliament worked effectively but they were not a long-term solution.