A policeman has been stabbed and his apparent attacker shot by officers in a major security incident at the Houses of Parliament.
Around three shots rang out outside the Palace of Westminster after a man ran through the gates into the front yard of the parliamentary compound apparently waving a knife.
Scotland Yard says the attack is being treated ‘as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise’.
Two people were seen being treated on the ground in New Palace Yard amid shouts and screams.
An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square and a regular ambulance came in through the front gates as medics rushed to help the injured people.
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 ‘OK’.
Fighting back tears he said: ‘We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out.
‘They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben.
‘I have never seen anything like that. I just can’t believe what I just saw.’
The Met Police is appealing for anyone with photos or footage of the incidents to pass it to them.
‘If you have photos or film of the incident in #Westminster please make sure you pass them to police http://www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk’ the force tweeted.
Around half an hour after the attack, former cabinet minister Anna Soubry claimed she and the Security Minister, Ben Wallace MP, were ordered into the Parliament lobby ‘at gun point’ by police officers.
‘Colleagues taken out of the library at gun point by counter terrorist armed police officers,’ she tweeted. ‘Armed officers ordered myself and Security Minister into lobby at gun point. Terrifying,’ she said.
Mrs May was seen being ushered into a silver Jaguar car as what sounded like gunfire rang out at Parliament during the incident at around 2.45pm.
As the sitting in the House of Commons was suspended, Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs: ‘What I am able to say to the House is there has been a serious incident within the estate.
‘It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.
‘An air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties.
‘There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it’d be wrong of me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the House security authorities about what is going on.’
Alan Parry, of Sky Sports News, was at Westminster for a meeting when he heard ‘an almighty crash’ when he was just outside the underground station .
He could see what he thought was a 4×4 vehicle on the other side of the road which had crashed into some railings.
He told Sky News: ‘There was smoke coming this vehicle. I walked on a few paces further and saw what I assumed to be either a pedestrian or a cyclist who had clearly been hit and wasn’t moving, although he did then gently move.
‘The guy who I assumed was the driver of this 4×4 got out of the car and suddenly sprinted away from the scene – that was followed by four of what sounded much like gunshots.
‘All of a sudden all hell was let loose. Police descended everywhere and the whole area was locked down.’
Witnesses described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife and running.
Jayne Wilkinson said: ‘We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.
‘And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.
‘He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt.
‘He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.’
Her partner David Turner added: ‘There was a stampede of people running out.‘You saw the people and you thought ‘what the hell is going on’.’
He could see what he thought was a 4×4 vehicle on the other side of the road which had crashed into some railings.
He told Sky News: ‘There was smoke coming this vehicle. I walked on a few paces further and saw what I assumed to be either a pedestrian or a cyclist who had clearly been hit and wasn’t moving, although he did then gently move.
‘The guy who I assumed was the driver of this 4×4 got out of the car and suddenly sprinted away from the scene – that was followed by four of what sounded much like gunshots.
‘All of a sudden all hell was let loose. Police descended everywhere and the whole area was locked down.’
Witnesses described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife and running.
Jayne Wilkinson said: ‘We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us, and then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.
‘And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.
‘He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt.
‘He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.’
Her partner David Turner added: ‘There was a stampede of people running out.‘You saw the people and you thought ‘what the hell is going on’.’
Source:Sky News
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