THERE is a major security alert in London after shots were fired close to the Palace of Westminster.
THERE is a major security alert in London after shots were fired close to the Palace of Westminster.
It is understood 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.
Two people were seen being treated on the ground in New Palace Yard amid shouts and screams.
Other people – perhaps up to a dozen – are believed to have been injured by a car on Westminster Bridge.
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 British Government source confirmed that Prime Minister Theresa May was « OK ».
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. »
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’. »
After the incident, Radoslaw Sikorski posted a video to Twitter purporting to show people lying injured in the road on Westminster Bridge.
Mr Sikorski, a senior fellow at Harvard’s Centre for European Studies, wrote: « A car on Westminster Bridge has just mowed down at least 5 people. »
Press Association Political Editor Andrew Woodcock witnessed the scenes unfolding from his office window overlooking New Palace Yard.
« I heard shouts and screams from outside and looked out, and there was a group of maybe 40 or 50 people running round the corner from Bridge Street into Parliament Square, » said Mr Woodcock.
« They appeared to be running away from something. As the group arrived at the Carriage Gates, where policemen are posted at the security entrance, a man suddenly ran out of the crowd and into the yard. He seemed to be holding up a long kitchen knife.
« I heard what sounded like shots – I think about three of them – and then the next thing I knew there were two people lying on the ground and others running to help them. Armed police were quickly on the scene and I heard them shouting to people to get out of the Yard. »
According to the Press Association two people were seen lying within Old Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall.
« We heard a very loud bang outside the press gallery, » witness Kevin Schofield told Sky News.
« We heard lots of shouting, there were men running around. Then I looked to my left and someone rushed through heavily fortified gates at Westminster and attacked a policeman.
« Another policeman came and rescued him and the man who assaulted him got up and appeared to be carrying a knife. We heard lots of gunfire. Five or six rounds. »
London police said they were called to a firearms incident on Westminster Bridge.
« We were called at approx 2:40 pm to reports of an incident at #Westminster Bridge. Being treated as a firearms incident – police on scene, » the Metropolitan police said on Twitter.
Press Association reporter Laura Harding, who was in Westminster at the time of the incident, said: “Everyone has been evacuated into Central Lobby, including a group of schoolchildren and kitchen staff.
“Around 15 schoolchildren aged around 10, with armed police coming through the lobby now.
“The children are really calm, the teachers are comforting them.
“Everyone is standing around on their phones.
“There are also a bunch of young people from the Hammersmith Boxing Club in their tracksuits and the British Lionhearts boxing group.”
The Irish embassy in London say they are monitoring the situation. Anyone with serious concerns for Irish people can contact +35314082527/+44 20 72352171.
More to follow
