MPs caught up in terror attack
VALLEY MPs were left locked in the House of Commons after a ‘terror’ attack in Westminster sent the centre of London into lockdown.
Reports were emerging that a policeman had been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a ‘terrorist’ attack at the Houses of Parliament, as the Free Press went to print on Wednesday afternoon, March 22.
There were also reports of a number of people being hit by a car on Westminster Bridge.
Rossendale and Darwen MP Jake Berry was locked in his office in the House of Commons during the incident as we went to press.
He told our reporter: “We are not allowed into the corridors. We don’t know what’s happening.”
Haslingden MP Graham Jones also said that he was ‘stuck’ in the chamber. He said: “There was a vote, an announcement. And now I’m sat here waiting.”
He added that mobile reception was poor so they had to rely on Twitter for information about the incident.
There was chaos around the Palace of Westminster following reports that a man carrying a knife had charged through the gates into the front yard of the parliamentary compound.
Amid shouts and screams, three shots reportedly rang out.
Two people were seen lying on the ground in New Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall.
An ambulance entered the gates to New Palace Yard and an air ambu- lance landed on Parliament Square.
The sitting in the House of Commons was suspended while police officers sealed off the area around the incident.
Armed police cleared the area around the incident and Parliament Square was closed to traffic.
A Downing Street source confirmed that Prime Minister Theresa May was ‘okay’.
Immediately before the incident, at around 2.45pm, a crowd of passers-by was seen running from the direction of Westminster Bridge and around the corner into Parliament Square.
Scotland Yard said in a statement: “We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise.”