this is bbc news. the headlines at 8pm... terror in westminster — moments of panic as a vehicle and knife attack leaves four people, including a police officer, dead. the attack began on westminster bridge — eyewitnesses say a car mowed down pedestrians. at least two people who were hit have died, and 20 others have been injured. on the other side of the road there was a body, when i looked further up there was another body, and when i looked over the side of the bridge there appeared to be a body in the water as well. the assailant then crashed his car into railings outside parliament. inside the gates of the palace of westminster the attacker stabbed a police officer, who has since died from his injuries. the assailant was shot and apprehended by police. he is also known to be one of the number who have died. scotla nd scotland yard believes he was

working alone. we now, of course, have an ongoing operation, and whilst we currently believe there is only one attacker, i am sure the public will understand is taking every precaution in locking down and searching the area as the real and exhaustively as possible. the prime minister was in parliament but is now back in downing street after chairing a cobra meeting with ministers. —— she is sharing a cobra meeting tonight. in the last tab at home secretary gave this message. the government's top priority is the security of its people, and i urge eve ryo ne security of its people, and i urge everyone to remain calm but to be vigilant. i'm ben brown, reporting live from the edge of the police caught in at westminster, where the lockdown of the last few hours has just been lifted and people are allowed to go home. —— reporting from the edge of the police cordon. good evening and welcome to bbc news

westminster is in a state of emergency, after what the metropolitan police described as a terror incident. four people are known to have died including an attacker. 20 people have been injured. a police officer was killed inside the parliamentary grounds. here's what we know so far. an attacker is reported to have run down several pedestrians on westminster bridge before crashing into railings. this is where a woman died. others suffered catastrophic injuries, according to the emergency services. the attacker is then reported to have run through the gates of the palace of westminster and stabbed the police officer. the officer died from his injuries. eyewitnesses said the attacker was shot by police as he approached a second officer, still carrying the knife. during the attack, mps in the house of commons were told to lie on the floor for their own safety. a spokesman for ten downing street has released a statement saying: "the thoughts of the prime minister

and the government are with those killed and injured in this appalling incident, and with their families." my my colleague ben brown is in westminster for us. over to you. christian, we are at the edge of the police cordon set up in westminster, and in the last few minutes the lockdown we have had for the last few hours has been lifted. let's show you the scene, lots of people are leaving the westminster area having been unable to leave for the last few hours. mps, peers, clerical staff were taken to westminster abbey from the palace of westminster, about 1000 of them, and only in the last few minutes were they able to leave. we are seeing people streaming away from the area. the police... huge police activity around this area, you can probably hear the sirens and police cars

racing around the streets, as they have been all afternoon and they are this evening, the police helicopter buzzing around in the sky. the latest we are hearing from the metropolitan police, four people dead and 20 injured. this report from our political editor laura kuenssberg. "runiu "move". "go"- gunshots. the shouts around the heart of westminster. the centre of our government. normally, a safe place. not today. members of the public, politicians, the hundreds of staff for whom this is work, in politics, for some, a home from home. lockdown, a place of danger. ministers rushed to safety. there are at least

a couple of hundred people inside portcullis house. this is the heart of where westminster does its business and we're part of a lockdown after what happened outside. a police officer has told me one man was shot at the front, and people heard three or four gunshots on their way to vote. this is a place that is tightly guarded at all times, but a sense of shock, finally it appears something so serious has happened right here in the heart of westminster. inside, everything unclear. order. i am now going to suspend the sitting of the house. this house is now suspended, but please wait here. then in a chamber that sat through all sorts of situations, work interrupted. 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 will be wrong of me here to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the house security authorities about what is going on. as the seriousness of the attack began to spread, mps told me they heard three or four gunshots on their way to vote. others saw with their eyes, from their office windows. we saw a thickset man in black clothes come through the gates into new palace yard. new palace yard is just below big ben.

this man had something in his hand, it looked like a stick. he was challenged by a couple of policemen in yellowjackets. one of the policemen fell down. we could see the man in black moving his arm in a way that suggested he was either stabbing or striking the yellow—jacketed policeman. one of the policemen ran to get help, which was very, very quick to come. as this attacker was running towards the entrance used by mps, two plainclothes guys with guns shouted at him, uttered what sounded like a warning. he ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell. westminster bridge, a tourist spot. this afternoon, violence stilled it. i heard what i thought wasjust a collision.

and then i looked out the window of the taxi and i saw someone down, obviously in great distress. then i saw a second person down and i started filming and i saw three more people down, one of them bleeding profusely. so what i saw was an incident involving at least five people seriously injured. i was just walking across the bridge when suddenly a bus stopped, people were screaming and came off the bus and they seemed very upset. then i saw what appeared to be a trainer on the side of the road. on the other side of the road there was a body and when i looked further up, there was another body. on the other side of the bridge, there appeared to be a body in the water as well. a car and driver intent on taking the lives of those who came to see. what is normally a safe circle, the most tightly guarded part of the city, danger and confusion. the counter terrorism command

are carrying out a full—scale investigation into the events today. the attack started when a car was driven over westminster bridge, hitting and injuring a number of members of the public, also including three police officers on their way back from a commendation ceremony. the car crashed near to parliament and at least one man, armed with a knife, continued the attack and tried to enter parliament. sadly i can confirm that now four people have died. that includes the police officer who was protecting parliament, and one man we believe to be an attacker who was shot by a police firearms officer. was this one who was responsible? so much is unclear. police and the government are considering this attack as the most serious of its kind. for an attack to stop democracy, not just politicians who came to work, but hundreds of people to visit and be part of this place.

we still don't really know what is going on. this group of students was brought here to see how parliament works. little did they know what kind of situation would unfold. it's still very hard to believe what's happened here today. an attack, that in theory, many expected to come to london again one day, but the truth of an event like this in practice, a shock in our parliament, a shock in our country. whatever the motive, an effort to stop our democracy in its tracks. let's talk to adrian bailey, a number of parliament for bromwich west, west bromwich west, who was inside the palace of westminster when it happened. tell us exactly

what you saw and heard? when it happened. tell us exactly what you saw and heard ?|j when it happened. tell us exactly what you saw and heard? i was walking through new palace yard on my way to vote and i heard a crash outside, i thought, my way to vote and i heard a crash outside, ithought, that my way to vote and i heard a crash outside, i thought, that is a little odd, then i heard a lot of shouts. i was tempted to look but i would have been late for the division so i moved on, as i went up the stairs to the back of the speaker's chair, the prime minister and about four all five very burly guards pushed past me andi five very burly guards pushed past me and i thought, this is strange. i found everything locked up in the lobby and realised it was serious. we are seeing people behind you only now, including yourself, being allowed to leave after the lockdown? that is right. i had to spend something like four hours in the chamber of the house of commons and the members lobby and the division lobby adjacent. i think, like all, oui’ lobby adjacent. i think, like all, our first reaction was bewilderment and apprehension and then a

resignation, and we gathered around the television monitors and we were obviously texting and diving friends and relatives to explain that we we re and relatives to explain that we were ok. but it has been a long and strange evening, but we realise that a lot of people have paid a far higher price than we have. and an attack on the heart of british democracy, what are your thoughts? we go into parliament every day and see these warnings about attacks and danger and i think, like a lot of people, wejust live with them and don't take much notice, but today it was a very uncomfortable realisation that this was for real. i think we are really indebted to all the security services and public services that work so hard to ensure that when the reality really bites, they are there to help and protect us and have done a magnificentjob. to help and protect us and have done a magnificent job. i to help and protect us and have done a magnificentjob. iwould to help and protect us and have done a magnificentjob. i would like to send my condolences to those who have paid the highest price.

asa have paid the highest price. as a member of parliament, i suppose in the back of your mind you must a lwa ys in the back of your mind you must always fear that there could be some sort of attack on parliament? absolutely. i think members become fatalistic because we all recognise there is only so much that any security force can do. mps don't wa nt to security force can do. mps don't want to live in a fortress where they can't engage with the public and the people who want to see the place and there is always a balance, i think if you become a member of parliament that you accept there is a risk, but we are very grateful for those who keep that risk to a minimum. do you think there needs to be increased security? there will be discussion about that, should there be more security around the palace of westminster? obviously we need to really examine exactly what happened and what the lessons are to be learned from eight. it comes back to what i said earlier, at the end of

the day, mps want to be able to engage with the public, we don't wa nt engage with the public, we don't want parliament to be some sort of isolated fortress. there will always be an element of risk. whether we have the balance exactly right at this moment, i think is something we need to discuss and look at what happened, obviously security can be improved —— if security should be improved —— if security should be improved then we should do it. i would not like to see parliament isolated from the local community and the people who we serve. adrian bailey mp, thank you very much for being with us. i want to read you a statement that has come in in the last few minutes from the london ambulance saying our thoughts are with friends and families of those affected by today's incidents. we treated 12 for serious injuries, they were all taken to hospital, and another eight patients were treated

for less serious injuries at the scene. sadly three people also died at the scene. a total of 20, according to the london ambulance, in terms of casualties, eight for less serious injuries but a 12 bore serious injuries. we know from king's college hospital that there area number of king's college hospital that there are a number of casualties who are critically ill. i want to tell you what president trump has been saying. the president had a phone call with theresa may a little earlier this evening. the president has been talking about the attack here in london, expressing his shock at that attack. president trump spoke to theresa may to offer her condolences on today's terror attack in london, says the white house, and his praise for the effective response of the security forces and first responders. he promised full cooperation and support of the united states government in responding to the

attacker and bringing those responsible to justice. that is just in from the white house on president trump's call to theresa may. theresa may, we know, is chairing a meeting of cobra this evening, the government image and see committee —— the government's emergency committee. at the end of a day where in westminster the heart of this country's democracy, there appears to have been a terror attack. it began with a vehicle driving other westminster bridge, running over people on the bridge, pedestrians. around 20 casualties, as we just said, hit by the vehicle, among them three french schoolchildren from brittany on a school trip, that has been confirmed by bernard cazeneuve, the french prime minister, this afternoon. the vehicle continued across westminster bridge, causing

chaos and carnage. it runs into the railings of the palace of westminster stop the assailant then attacked a police officer who was near carriage gate, that officer was stabbed, the foreign office minister tobias ellwood apparently gave mouth—to—mouth was this the tate and and tried to save the life of that police officer —— apparently gave mouth—to—mouth resuscitation. the police officer was stabbed at the palace of westminster, we heard later he had died. the latest death toll is four, including the assailant who, according to police at the moment, appears to have been acting alone. the police officer was another fertility and two others, including a woman, and one woman jumped or fell from the including a woman, and one woman jumped orfell from the bridge into the river thames —— the police officer was another fatality. that woman was pulled alive from the river thames. you are watching

coverage from westminster of this unfolding story. now i think we can hearfrom the conservative mp dominic raab. i'm sorry, let's hear from conservative mp dominic raab. i'm sorry, let's hearfrom home secretary amber rudd. the government's top priority is the security of its people. and i urge everyone to remain calm, but to be vigilant, and if they see anything they are concerned about, they should report it to the police. we have the best police, the best security services in the world, and we must make sure that we let them get on with doing theirjob. the british people will be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our shared values. values of democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law. values symbolised by the houses of parliament, values that will never be destroyed. that's the home secretary, amber

rudd. we have also heard from the leader of the opposition, the labour leader, jeremy corbyn, about what happened. there's been an extremely serious incident in parliament today, lives have been lost and people have been seriously injured. i want to thank the police and the security services who did so much to keep the public, those working in parliament and mps, say. our thoughts are with those who have suffered a loss and seem terrible injuries this afternoon. that was jeremy corbyn. our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford is outside new scotland yard. daniel, you have heard from police and been talking to the police all afternoon, where are we this evening on this attack and what the police know about it? it has obviously been a tragic day

for the metropolitan police service, not only has there been an attack on the seat of politics for the uk but they have lost one of their own offices in the course of that. there has been a series of high—level meetings here led by the national coordinator for counterterrorism mark rowley, their own acting commissioner was called up, craig mackey, in the attacks himself, he was actually there as the attack was taking place and the incoming commissioner, cressida dick, i have seen commissioner, cressida dick, i have seen her walking into the metropolitan police headquarters at new scotland yard to be briefed, even though she has not started her job. mark rowley left the building at one point to go to the cobra meeting across whitehall, he is back inside the meeting and they are running a major, of course, counterterrorism investigation. just to give you an idea of where the headquarters of new scotland yard is, literally just headquarters of new scotland yard is, literallyjust behind new scotla nd is, literallyjust behind new scotland yard is portcullis house, where many mps had officers, just

behind that is big ben and just over to my right is westminster bridge, the same bridge where the car ploughed through the tourists and the students and the french schoolchildren and the woman who was knocked into the river. that bridge just 100 metres from new scotland ya rd just 100 metres from new scotland yard is a crime scene tonight. all the vehicles on that bridge at the time of the attack are still there, it has been frozen in time, closed off, forensic officers already starting their report on that scene and just behind scotland yard, behind portcullis house, the most important crime scene of all in many ways, the place where the assailant broke into the outer perimeter of the palace of westminsterjust broke into the outer perimeter of the palace of westminster just a few yards from the house of commons chamber, killed a police officer before being killed himself. at the moment police still believe he was the only assailant, at one point we

heard from eyewitnesses stories about possibly a white assailants carrying knives, police do not seem to be able to confirm that as being true slap the moment there is one assailant, a black man who can be seen assailant, a black man who can be seen taken away on the stretcher after being shot by the police in some of the photographs and videos taken from inside the palace of westminster. thank you very much, daniel sandford. we talked to the conservative mp iain duncan smith, who has just been released from the lockdown —— we can talk to. what happened, what did you see or hear? i had come across for the vote, come through from meetings in the lunchtime and just got ahead of what was going on, went into the thing and suddenly discovered everyone screaming lockdown, the chamber was locked down, i wasjust screaming lockdown, the chamber was locked down, i was just outside so i went to my office, turned on the news to see what was going on and it appeared the whole thing was

suspended, terrorist attack, they did not call it that at the beginning because they did not quite know, bit by bit it came out and we we re know, bit by bit it came out and we were cleared out of our officers about 15 minutes later, taken to central lobby and herded into westminster hall, some then went to westminster hall, some then went to westminster abbey. after they decided people would give evidence that they cleared of out and allowed us that they cleared of out and allowed us back. i think they were slightly worried because there was some rumour of another person involved andi rumour of another person involved and i think they were worried they we re and i think they were worried they were in the building, they were very keen to keep us together and there we re keen to keep us together and there were a lot of armed police around. they did a good job, thejob were a lot of armed police around. they did a good job, the job they had to do. the tragedy is those who have died and been injured. a particular tragedy that a woman police officer has been murdered, i find that almost too much to bear. and your thoughts on an attack of the heart of british democracy, the palace of westminster? it is a target, whatever else you say their systems basically held and the

police did theirjob, a man with a knife in a car can kill all those people, it is almost impossible to com pletely people, it is almost impossible to completely protect yourself against that kind of attack. obviously questions will be asked about whether or not we need an armed officer at the gate, these are for a later date. tonight we have had an attack, he was stopped. tragedy about the death of those people, particularly the woman police officer. it was a terrible tragedy today, but at the end of the day we are accessible. why? because we are elected and we had to seek people who need to see us, that will never stop. they will never stop is being what we are, a democratically elected group of people under the rule of law and we will never stop. the palace of westminster cannot become a fortress? it is protected a lot more, more than when i came in 20 plus years ago. there may be questions about it but the honest

truth is that this is a low—tech attack, as the security authorities have said they had stopped god knows how many attacks so far, there is a lwa ys how many attacks so far, there is always just one who will get through. you don't know the motivation, they get their car or a knife and plough through people, thatis knife and plough through people, that is a terror attack of the new kind which we have seen in berlin and the south of france, this was smaller but nonetheless devastating. but we have to be accessible, this isa but we have to be accessible, this is a democracy and the thing that will defeat these people is we are a democracy governed under the rule of law and you will never stop the clr constituents, how many —— no matter how many attacks take place. thank you, we can speak to gordon taylor from the pfa, thank you, we can speak to gordon taylorfrom the pfa, you thank you, we can speak to gordon taylor from the pfa, you were at a meeting in westminster?” taylor from the pfa, you were at a meeting in westminster? i had a meeting in westminster? i had a meeting with the sports minister and other people from other sports about extremist behaviour and anti—homophobia and looking to work with those groups to try to make the

world a better place in the face of what is happening at the moment, a lot of the quality issues. so it is particularly poignant. of course we we re particularly poignant. of course we were locked down as they say for a good few hours whilst there was a sweep of the building. did you know what was going on? only through the different media and phones which you can get to know more about what is happening, really, than we were being told. sympathies, of course, to the victims of the attack. it is a really sad day. i was in with the england team when they played in spain the very night that paris was attacked and the football game was affected. it brings back really sad memories. again, the world will have to come together and hope that the goodness in human beings overcomes the other. gordon taylor, thank you

so the other. gordon taylor, thank you so much for talking to us. our political correspondence adam fleming isjust down political correspondence adam fleming is just down the road from me in westminster. you have been watching the mps and peers and other staff who were in westminster abbey, about 1000 of them, and allowed to go home in the last few minutes? that's right. westminster abbey, famous for big state events, tonight it has been a place of safety for hundreds of staff members from the house of commons, fascinating cross section of the type of people you get in westminster every day, people from the catering department, maintenance people, even some of the people who do the tours for the members of the public, accompanied by members of parliament and members of the house of lords. labour mp ian murray joins of the house of lords. labour mp ian murrayjoins me, of the house of lords. labour mp ian murray joins me, thank of the house of lords. labour mp ian murrayjoins me, thank you. what has it been like for the last few hours?

you have been there since around 5pm? we have been waiting for information and chatting about the events of today, making sure we can ta ke events of today, making sure we can take a moment to reflect on the people who have lost their lives. we we re people who have lost their lives. we were all able to walk out of here tonight in darkness because a police officer put his life on the line so we can go home safely, it is a measure lodgers of a police officer but those involved today, the support staff, the police and emergency services have been incredible and thanks go to them and their families. were you aware of what had unfolded, that police were confirming four people had died? we were trying to keep up to date but we were as much in the dark as anyone, we were trying to follow it on twitter. it is quite frightening being evacuated from parliament and a pretty heavily on terrorism terrorism police, but they protected us, it could have been an awful lot worse and it is a reminder that we should all take security very seriously indeed and we cannot thank enough the

parliamentary authorities who put their lives on the line to make sure everyone was safe , their lives on the line to make sure everyone was safe, not just mps but everyone was safe, not just mps but every single person working in that building, they deserve credit. do you think the processors worked, the security process to protect you and members of staff?” the security process to protect you and members of staff? i think it has, the response was extraordinary. i had been giving an all—party group meeting in a committee group upstairs, the division bell went, we we re upstairs, the division bell went, we were heading to votes, within seconds the building was locked down, within minutes we were given information about staying in rooms, i went back to the committee room to assure the members of the public that the all— party assure the members of the public that the all—party group and the witnesses, then we stayed in the room until we were given directions to leave and then we left in an orderly fashion into a corridor downstairs and worried that he waited into westminster abbey through westminster hall. westminster abbey has been fantastic this evening, making sure kids and families are looked after, a remarkable effort from the emergency

services and everyone at westminster abbey. asa abbey. as a member of parliament do you feel safe, you were targeted?” think we all had to say we feel safe because it would be wrong to let perpetrators of these hideous crimes get away with trying to make people and says, that is their whole plan. we need to make sure the staff in that building reassured, that they feel safe. first and foremost we need to make sure the people who work for us, who serve the houses of parliament are safe and reassured, if we can do that i think parliament should get back were running as quickly as possible but certainly mps feel safe. when you see the operation that has happened is and the way things have been responded to, we should feel safer. the emergency services are worth their weight in gold. we've talked about things getting back to normal and we now know definitely that the house of commons

and the house of lords will be sitting as normal, as planned, tomorrow morning. many thanks. still intense police activity around where we are, police ca rs activity around where we are, police cars moving around all the time. helicopters still in the sky. police are saying that people in the capital need to be vigilant tonight. they are increasing the number of police officers on patrol, notjust around westminster but right around the capital. let's get a report now from our deputy political editor. it is one of the busiest and best guarded sites in britain, in europe. the police response took moments and as the cordons close, those who watched these terrifying scenes unfold added to the accounts of what had just taken place. 200 yards from big ben, overlooking westminster bridge, i arrived just after the incident, and i bumped into a group of extremely traumatised french teenagers who were here on a trip for a week.

one of them described to me what had happened on the bridge, how he saw a car drive into what he thought were two or three of the people with him. many of the people were too upset, crying too much to talk, some in shock. i passed one person lying on the pavement covered in one of those metallic blankets you see after the marathon. and from inside parliament itself, reporters heard the attacker‘s car hit the barriers outside, and saw what happened next. we heard a big bang outside at about 2:40pm and then screaming, a man shouting. and then 200 or so tourists or passers—by started running from westminster bridge across the pavement in front parliament to westminster abbey. there was shooting outside parliament and an ambulance landed. the police are marking the area out with cones. emergency services converged

in force to tend to the casualties. at this stage, no—one knew quite how many. metres away, london life went on blissful ignorance. one mp helped raise the alarm. i then made my way into the tube station and i could see people walking around with their kids like it was a normal day. i went straight to the control room and said, you need to shut the tube station now, we have got a terror attack on the palace of westminster, you need to shut it now. he put a radio alert out to all staff and they put on their high—visibilityjackets. all the mps were going to vote when the incident happened. it sounds like i was a little bit further ahead of her on the way to the old palace when the gunshots rang out. it takes a moment to think that is not a car backfiring, that is a gunshot.

then there was lots of yelling, get down on the floor, get back into the building, which is what we all did. the numbers killed, the casualty list has grown. an attack aimed at the heart of british national life. the security services will study what happened here and seek to learn the lessons even as innocent victims are treated and the families of the dead begin to mourn. we're just hearing that a meeting of cobra, the government emergency committee, is now over. we will bring you the latest from thatjust as soon bring you the latest from thatjust as soon as we bring you the latest from thatjust as soon as we get that. we think there may be a statement from the prime minister. we will bring that to you as soon as prime minister. we will bring that to you as soon as we can. prime minister. we will bring that to you as soon as we can. that meeting of the government emergency services committee, over. let's talk

now tojohn services committee, over. let's talk now to john dsm, services committee, over. let's talk now tojohn dsm, director of the national security centre of national security studies at king's college london. what are your thoughts, at the end of this terrible day? we have seen four people killed and 20 injured. in symbolic terms, this is pretty much the most extreme events since the ira tried to more to the cabinet. the prime minister and most of the cabinet were not that far away from where an individual, albeit it appears armed with a knife, did manage to get into the grounds of the house of commons. his intention was to generate the interest we see today. unfortunately he has succeeded. does that mean there needs to be more security around the palace of westminster, in your view? we can see this as having succeeded on one level. the vehicle was not able to get to the main entrance. armed officers did take ca re of entrance. armed officers did take care of the threat. parliament

a lwa ys care of the threat. parliament always has this challenge, it wants to be open to the public while at the same time preserving the security of those who are there. there are some questions to be asked about the fact that the individual did get onto the estate. more broadly, we know that the police and security services have intercepted a number of plots in the last few yea rs, number of plots in the last few years, 13 in the last three years i think. they have said that one could get through. that the law of averages meant there could be a terror attack. this looks like something that is copying the attacks we have seen in continental europe and elsewhere. israel has seen europe and elsewhere. israel has seen stabbings on buses and in public places and vehicles being driven into groups of people for some time. we saw these tactics used in germany and in france, but also stabbings in canada and australia. these tactics that have been tried by people, we do not even know what the motivation of this individual was. if it proves to be inspired by

some way by islamic state or al-anda, it follows a pattern. in britain, we are pretty well prepared for most terrorist attacks. this could have been a lone wolf? somebody not acting in connection with anybody else? a lone wolf in communication with others, do you think? the concept of the loan off is problematic. everybody has relationships, whether they are online. they have connections to some people. whether this individual was sent by a group, that's another question. for many years, is and before them al-qaeda have told people to just do something. and people to just do something. and people have been doing something. but it's not the same as the terrorism we faced a decade ago, it is different. we saw the police doing a counter terror exercise only this weekend i think, on the river thames. quite dramatic pictures there. they are always training and always, in a sense, anticipating an attack like this? the threat of

armed individuals with automatic weapons has been prepared for and has been thought to be something we might face next. thankfully we did not face that today. the problem for the public is that individuals, walking across a bridge in central london, do not expect to be driven into by a car. we cannot secure all our streets. nevertheless, this part of london is iconic and there is nothing more iconic of the tower and big ben. that's where the vehicle is. there probably will u nfortu nately is. there probably will unfortunately be even more security on westminster bridge. but we do not have too secure every part of our country. thank you very much. the director of national security studies, there. we have had a reaction to what happened here today at westminster from the president of the european parliament in the last couple of minutes. let's get that now. i want to express to the uk and

to the british parliament, my solidarity, our solidarity. we need to stop the terrorism, we need to work altogether against daesh. let me tell you that the lights on the eiffel tower in paris, we are hearing, will be switched off at midnight according to the mayor of paris. a gesture of solidarity from the people of paris with the people of london. the lights on the eiffel tower, switch off at midnight. let's hear from tower, switch off at midnight. let's hearfrom an tower, switch off at midnight. let's hear from an eyewitness to what happened today at westminster. i was opposite big ben andi westminster. i was opposite big ben and ijust westminster. i was opposite big ben and i just heard westminster. i was opposite big ben and ijust heard a commotion going on towards the bridge. i looked over and saw a bunch of screaming people

running away. then i see somebody come over the side of the bridge. they landed in the water. a little bit after that, that's when i heard some gunshots. did you know this was a car hitting people on the bridge? no. at the time, i did not have a clue. i would have gone out of their fine you what was going on. —— i would have gotten out there. you saw people falling into the river? there we re over people falling into the river? there were over the side of the bridge, all slipping around, then landed in the water. i didn't see them come back up. we gather that was a woman who was pulled alive from the water, and who has serious injuries but was pulled alive. when all of this was going on, what was going through your mind? ijust going on, what was going through your mind? i just thought, this is

crazy. i did not know what was going on. i thought i heard gunshots, i wasn't too sure. if i knew it was gunshots, i would wasn't too sure. if i knew it was gunshots, iwould have wasn't too sure. if i knew it was gunshots, i would have been out of there. i was not trying to stick around. an eyewitness on westminster bridge at the time of the attack. let him now from peter power, a former counterterror officer at new scotla nd former counterterror officer at new scotland yard with his thoughts on what has happened here at westminster today. margaret gilmore was talking about the threat level if you moments ago, equating the attack level two highly likely. there is some threat fatigue because nothing has happened for so long. the second thing to consider is that if you weeks ago, the government published a new app for everyone with a mobile phone called citizen aid. you press this app and it tells you what to do if you are caught up in what the police call a marauding terrorist attack. but how many people know that? we saw only last

weekend, a major counterterrorist exercise on the river thames. but perhaps more importantly, today, 168 or, sorry, 68 countries are meeting in washington to discuss how to defeat islamic state. to take these things together, we should not be surprised. when mark rowley, the senior police officer stood outside scotland yard and said and i quote, this is a day that we have prepared for. he's absolutely right. we've heard quite often that a number of plots and the last three years have been foiled, intercepted, by the police and m15. obviously they can't stop them all? no they can't. let's rememberthe stop them all? no they can't. let's remember the radar screen applied by m15 and the police and so on. be conscious of two things. first of all, we do not live in a police state. we cannot stop people without suspicion. what is happening now is

that the terrorists are resorting to using things which you might find in your kitchen or your garage. they are not using explosives. it is quite easy, quite frankly, for a terrorist to get very close with nothing more than a knife or simply by driving a car and suddenly they become weapons. things have changed a bit. essentially, we go through these three stages of mayhem, mastermind, and manhunt. mayhem, its sheer panic. mastermind, who can tell us what is going on. manhunt, who can we blame. as we learnt this evening, we are not entirely sure. the finger is generally pointed towards people who would like to be associated with so—called islamic state. on this very day that the 68 countries are meeting in washington to discuss how to defeat islamic state. that was peter power, a former counterterror officer with scotla nd former counterterror officer with scotland yard. the later we have tonight from the metropolitan police

is that four people are dead. that includes the assailant and a police officer at the gate of the palace tonight. they were stabbed. we know tobias ellwood, the foreign office minister tried to save the officer ‘s life i giving mouth to mouth resuscitation. tobias ellwood actually had blood on his clothes from that attempt to save that officer ‘s life, but failed. that officer ‘s life, but failed. that officer later died. two other fatalities. one a woman, we think on the bridge. westminster bridge. as that vehicle rammed into pedestrians on the bridge, 20 people altogether have been injured. a number of those are ina have been injured. a number of those are in a very serious condition, some in the critically ill, we hear. you can see behind me where we are at the police caught in westminster. writes by the river thames. still a

huge police activity, it's been very intense all afternoon. the police we re intense all afternoon. the police were uncertain whether there might bea were uncertain whether there might be a second attacker, and that is why they wanted to check all the offices of the palace of westminster and surrounding offices and people we re and surrounding offices and people were in lockdown for a number of hours. they have onlyjust been allowed to go home. mps, peers, and other staff. let's hear now from the mayor of london who has offered his condolences for the lives lost and also said to the people of london that there will be extra police officers on the streets following this incident. we are treating this horrific attack as a terrorist attack. a number of people have lost their lives and at least 20 people have been injured. my heart goes out to those who have lost loved ones and to everyone who has been affected. tragically, a met police officer who was doing his duty protecting our city is amongst those

who have been killed. my thoughts are with his family this evening. i wa nt are with his family this evening. i want to express my gratitude, on behalf of all londoners, to the police and emergency services who have shown tremendous bravery in exceptionally difficult circumstances. i have spoken to the acting police commissioner and national lead for counterterrorism policing, and acting deputy commissioner mark crowley, and remain in close contact with them. londoners should be aware that there will be additional armed and unarmed police officers on our streets from tonight in order to keep londoners and all those who visit our city say. i want to reassure all londoners and all our visitors not to be alarmed. our city remains one of the safest in the world. london is the greatest city in the world, and we stand together in the face of those who seek to harm us and destroy our way of life. we always have and we always will. londoners will never be cowed by terrorism. siddique khan, the mayor of london

with a video statement now what happened today. we are expecting to hear from theresa may in the next few seconds. we will bring that to you as soon as we get few seconds. we will bring that to you as soon as we get that statement from theresa may. she has been sharing a meeting of the government ‘s emergency committee, cobra, in whitehall receiving following today's attack which has left four people dead. including the assailant. we will bring that as soon as we assailant. we will bring that as soon as we get it. let's hear now from an eyewitness, who was just emerging from westminster tube underground station when the attack happened. he's been talking to our home affairs correspondent.” happened. he's been talking to our home affairs correspondent. i was coming out of the tube, westminster, about 2:45pm. it was clear something had happened, police were ushering people out. i was ushered onto westminster bridge. i looked across the west pavement and there were bodies, people lying on the bridge. people being tended to. i moved into

the middle of the bridge and it was clear there were also bodies, people lying on the floor on the western pavement. when i spoke to someone who had been on the bridge at the time of the incident they said a car had mounted the in pavement, and driven the whole way up the bridge, knocking people over. i counted eight people, the length of the bridge, from south to north. at least eight. one was clearly in a state of shock. you're not sure what's going on. but as i looked up and down, they were being attended to. as i was standing there, a air ambulance came over and landed in parliament square. an incredible number of security personnel from the ambulance service and paramedics, and also plainclothes people, people with masks on a machine guns. the quantity of arms

personnel arriving was very significant. there were vehicles arriving from embankment, both police vehicles and vehicles with lights on, a grey van with a number of security personnel. it is reassuring to know there are so many armed security personnel looking after our safety. after what was clearly a pretty dramatic event. all the staff at westminster and the office staff, clerical staff, mps and peers who have been in lockdown for the last few hours have been allowed to go home now by the metropolitan police. we can hear now from labour mp tony —— toby perkins. about quarter to three there was a bell went across parliament to tell us that there was a vote, and so all... virtually the majority of the 650 mps will have travelled

across parliamentary estate to the chamber where the vote was taking place. i walked overfrom portcullis house to the house of commons, where we would have walked sort of right next to palace yard, but completely unaware of the incident that was going on. as we came out of the lobby, having voted, we were told we were not able to leave the house of commons and that it was in lockdown because of the serious incident.” that it was in lockdown because of the serious incident. i am now in the serious incident. i am now in the lobby where i reckon about 400 mps are located in the commons chamber or the lobby. obviously there is a deep sense of shock at there is a deep sense of shock at the news that a police officer has lost his life. we are all very conscious of the professionalism of the police and the bravery of the

police, on this occasion, and always. it's a pretty sombre mood at that news. do you and all those hundreds of colleagues you are with, do you feel safe at this stage? we are very conscious do you feel safe at this stage? we are very conscious that this is a very significant, coordinated terrorist attack. we are very confident in the ability of the police to do all they can. you can't underestimate that the incident may not be over yet. we are all very conscious of that. there is a bit of a uneasy feeling. certainly alongside the sombre realisation that an officer of the law turned up to work this morning and will not be going home. a huge number of staff work there with you, notjust mps

and members of the lords of course. there is a huge support staff, perhaps people there as tour groups, those sorts of people, just public looking around. do you have any sense of how long you will be held there? no idea. not an important... iam there? no idea. not an important... i am told the prime minister is in voting at the time. she was whisked away by armed officers and left the palace of westminster straightaway. the rest of us are here and we'll be here until we are told it is ok to move. that was toby perkins. let's talk to yvette cooper, who is with me now. have you been in lockdown for the last few hours with everyone else? yes. everybody has paid tribute to the police and the

security services. sorry, we are just going to hear the prime minister in downing street.” just going to hear the prime minister in downing street. i have just chaired a meeting of the government ‘s emergency committee, cobra, following the sick and depraved terrorist attack on the streets of our capital, this afternoon. the full details of exactly what happened are still emerging. having been updated by police and security officials, i can confirm that this appalling incident began when a single attacker drove his vehicle into pedestrians walking across westminster bridge. killing two people, and injuring many more, including three police officers. this attacker, who was armed with a knife, then ran towards parliament where he was confronted by the police officers who keep us and our democratic institutions safe. tragically, one officer was killed.

the terrorist was also shot dead. the terrorist was also shot dead. the united kingdom ‘s threat level has been set at severe for some time. this will not change. acting deputy commissioner crowley will give a further operational update later this evening. our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected, to the victims themselves, and their family affected, to the victims themselves, and theirfamily and affected, to the victims themselves, and their family and friends. who have waived their loved ones off, but will not now be welcoming them home. —— waived. forthose but will not now be welcoming them home. —— waived. for those of us who we re home. —— waived. for those of us who were in parliament at the time of the attack, these events provide a particular reminder of the exceptional bravery of our police and security services. who risk their lives to keep us safe. once again today, these exceptional men and women ran towards the danger, even as they encouraged others to move the other way. on behalf of the

whole country, i want to pay tribute to them. and to all our emergency services, for the work they have been doing. to reassure the public and to bring security back to the streets of our capital city. that they have lost one of their own in today's attack, only makes their calmness and professionalism under pressure all the more remarkable. the location of this attack was no accident. the terrorist chose to strike at the heart of our capital city. where people of all nationalities, religions and cultures come together to celebrate the values of liberty, democracy and freedom of speech. these streets of westminster, home to the world's old est westminster, home to the world's oldest parliament, are ingrained with a spirit of freedom that echoes

in some of the furthest corners of the globe. the values our parliament represents, democracy, freedom, human rights, the rule of law, commands the admiration and respect of free people everywhere. that is why it is a target for those who reject those values. but let me make it clear today, as i have had cause to do before. any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure. tomorrow morning, parliament will meet as normal. we will come together as normal. londoners, and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city, will get up and go about their day as normal. they will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk the streets,

they will live their lives. we will all move forward together. never giving in to terror. and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart. theresa may there are, the prime minister describing it as are, the prime minister describing itasa are, the prime minister describing it as a sick and depraved attack. confirming that four people have died, including the attacker. let's talk again to yvette cooper who we had to interrupt to hear from the prime minister. do you agree with the prime minister? very much. i think the whole of parliament will stand with her on this. everybody‘s thoughts go out to those who have been hurt, those who have been killed, and their families. particularly to pay tribute to the very brave police officer who lost his life by doing hisjob very brave police officer who lost his life by doing his job to

very brave police officer who lost his life by doing hisjob to keep people safe. i think theresa may is also right to say that terrorists wa nt to also right to say that terrorists want to divide us, and we should never let them succeed and never let them do so. to that end, parliament will sit as normal tomorrow, she stressed? that's right. parliament will sit and london will go about its business, the country will go about its business. what terrorists try to do is strike fear in people's hearts, they try to divide communities. we have seen solidarity from people across the country from communities across the country coming together to say that we will not allow them to win, and we will defend our values as well as our democracy. we really must thank the emergency services, security services, and all those who work so ha rd to services, and all those who work so hard to keep us safe every single day of the week, and to have prevented other attacks like this and are certainly working hard tonight. yvette, thank you. yvette

cooper there. we arejust tonight. yvette, thank you. yvette cooper there. we are just on the fringe of this warden that has been set up around westminster. people and staff and mps, have been on lockdown for the last few hours, have now been allowed to go home. the prime minister there just confirming what we had been told by the metropolitan police: four people have died, including the attacker. she said it was a lone attacker, a single attacker, who had driven over westminster bridge and attacked pedestrians on the bridge, then attacked with a knife a police officer at the gates of the palace officer at the gates of the palace of westminster. the prime minister described it as a sick and depraved attack, an appalling incident, she said. but british democracy would not be defeated, and indeed she said parliament this is the bbc news special.

our main story touch terrorism in the heart of westminster. a vehicle and knife attack has left four people, including a police opposite, dead. on the other side of the road there was a body, when i looked further up there was another body, when i looked over the side of the bridge there appeared to be a body in the water as well. eyewitnesses say a car mowed down pedestrians. that was a westminster bridge, before it crashed into railings at parliament. at least two people who were hit have died, and 20 others have been injured. the attacker was shot and apprehended by police and is among the dead.