REMEMBER THEM
Not the murderous, fat, bald, failed school teacher,52, who lived above Brum curry shop
THOUSANDS paying tribute to the Westminster terror attack victims were urged to remember the innocent people who died – not crazed killer Khalid Masood, right.
Murdered police officer Keith Palmer, mum Aysha Frade, tourist Kurt Cochran and a 75-year-old man who died in hospital last night were all saluted at a candle-lit vigil in London.
THE terror nut who killed four in a car and knife attack in London has been unmasked as a failed English teacher.
Security services are trying to work out what turned Brit-born Khalid Masood, 52, from an overweight, married dad-of-three into a mass murdering jihadi.
He had no previous convictions for terrorist offences and police yesterday said he was not on their watch list or the subject of any on-going investigation.
They had no prior warning he was about to execute Britain’s bloodiest terror attack since 2005’s 7/7 bombings.
Masood did have aliases and a record for assaults, public order offences and possessing a knife but had not been in trouble for 14 years. A neighbour described him as a “nice” family man and keen gardener.
But three months ago he moved out of his townhouse into a flat above a Persian restaurant and on Wednesday launched a lone-wolf assault on Parliament.
After hiring a Hyundai 4x4 from a car rental firm near his first-floor bolthole he headed 100 miles to London where he sped across Westminster Bridge knocking over pedestrians.
Stabbed
Brit Aysha Frade, 43, was mown down and killed on her way to collect her two children from school along with US tourist Kurt Cochran, 54, who was on a trip to celebrate his 25th wedding anniversary. Another 28 were hurt – seven critically – as they were hit by Masood’s car or injured as they dived out of the way. The latest victim was a 75-year-old man who died in hospital last night. After smashing the 4x4 into a wall outside Parliament the killer – armed with two knives – leapt out, dashed into the grounds through an unlocked gate and stabbed unarmed Pc Keith Palmer, 48. The married officer – dad to a five-year-old daughter – died despite being given the kiss-of-life by Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood. Masood died after being shot up to three times by a Parliamentary protection officer. Last night some MPs called for all Westminster police to be armed. Experts said Masood had exploited a weakness in Parliamentary security by entering through the unbolted gate. Last night police were quizzing eight people held in Birmingham and London raids. Three were detained as masked officers armed with sub-machine guns stormed Masood’s flat above the Shiraz: A Taste Of Persia diner in Hagley Road, Birmingham, hours after the attack.
Landlord Farhad Makasvand said he did not know the terrorist had been holed up there as he had let it via an agency. He added: “I am appalled by the savage attack. As a Muslim, I ask we remain vigilant to help root out people holding beliefs that go against humanity and our faith.’’
Iwona Romek, 45, who lived next door to Masood’s former home two miles away in Winson Green, said: “I just thought it was a normal family.”
PM Theresa May, who yesterday visited survivors in hospital, said MI5 intelligence chiefs had previously investigated Masood in relation to “violent extremism” but dismissed him as a “peripheral figure”.
Tears
She said the case was “historic” and “there was no prior intelligence of his intent or the plot”.
Vowing Britain would not be cowed, she said there will be extra armed police patrols across the country.
Tory MP James Cleverly, 47, fought back tears as he praised Pc Palmer – a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad – who he met 25 years ago as a Royal Artillery gunner. He described him as a “strong, professional public servant”.
Islamic State labelled Masood – a Kent-born Muslim convert –“a soldier” as it claimed responsibility. Police foiled an attack by a driver whose car carried knives, guns and gas as he tried to drive into a crowd at Antwerp, Belgium, yesterday.