Kentish Express Ashford & District
MP tells of panic at parliament in wake of killings
Ashford MP Damian Green has described the moment he was trapped in the Houses of Parliament as police officers outside shot dead a terrorist who murdered one of their colleagues.
The attack in Westminster last Wednesday, carried out by Khalid Masood, killed three pedestrians – Kurt Cochran, Aysha Frade and Leslie Rhodes – on Westminster Bridge and injured more than 50 people.
Masood then crashed the car opposite Westminster underground station and ran around the corner to get on to parliament grounds before stabbing a police officer.
Metropolitan Police officer PC Keith Palmer, 48, a husband and father, died at the scene.
MP Tobias Ellwood, who carried out mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, was labelled a hero for his desperate efforts to save him.
After stabbing PC Palmer, Masood was shot three times by armed police on guard outside the parliament buildings.
Ashford MP Damian Green, the Work and Pensions Secretary, was in a downstairs committee room of the House of Commons with a group of MPs when police rushed to the scene outside.
Speaking at the time of the attack, he said: “The chamber was locked down and everything was suspended.
“The Prime Minister was escorted away by the police.
“We knew there was something happening but I didn’t hear anything and we were told to stay in the office.
“There are always lots of police around the Houses of Parliament and it is sadly quite clear why.
“It was quite tense. Everyone was just calling their families to let them know they were OK.
“The majority of MPs are here today because we were voting and everyone was told to stay in the Houses of Commons.”
Parliament was suspended for the rest of the afternoon and the building was locked down as authorities established whether a second attacker was on the loose.
The police and security services believe Masood was acting alone but have made 12 arrests in connection with the incident since last Thursday, including in Birmingham and Manchester.