colleagues would think it's wrong of me to go into further detail until we have confirmation from the police and house security authorities about what is going on. i shall endeavor to the very best i can both at the dispatch box and by to ensure the numbers are kept to where it is happening. at the moment, the very clear advice from police and the director of security in the house is that we should remain under suspension and that the chamber should remain in lockdown until we receive advice that it is safe to go back to normal procedures. >> we are going to enter into into debate at this stage, i want to make sure people are informed why we are in here on why we are in lockdown.

>> can i just thank you for that statement, just to say our thoughts and prayers are with the people and to think the police and all security services and all the staff for looking after him so well. >> i think those sentiments will be shared without reservation and all parts of the house. >> remain suspended until further notice. >> there the deputy speaker of the house of commerce, the chamber locks down because the questions wound up a little over two hours ago. the prime minister, we are told, was in a voting lobby when she was ushered out of the building as part of a procedure to be taken away for her own safety. the chamber is now on lockdown. >> this is what's happening in westminster, there are other

reports, i must say these reports also unconfirmed of another instance on westminster bridge. we are getting reports of a number of bodies being seen on the bridge. none of these reports are confirmed yet. >> we go to robert who is an westminster. >> i'm with alan perry who is from sky sports news who was meant to be meeting with someone. what did you see? >> i was walking along the pavement along big bend and parliament just outside westminster underground station when i i heard an almighty crah and a vehicle, it looked like a four by four, on the opposite side of the road, it crashed into the railings, there are's smoke coming from this vehicle. i walked down a few paces further and saw what i assumed to be either a pedestrian or cyclist who had clearly been hit and wasn't moving, although then he did gently move for a couple

of seconds. the guy who i assume was the driver got out of the car and suddenly sprinted away from the scene and that was followed by what sounded like gunshots to me. all of a sudden, all hell was let loose. police dissented everywhere, the whole area was locked down that's exactly what i saw. >> would you say the gun fire come out not directed at the fire who appeared to be running away? >> it was very difficult to know that because as i say, i was on the opposite pavement. i just saw the sky sprinting away. >> what did the driver look lik like? >> again, he was a long way from me. it was impossible to get a description of him. i don't know what color he was or nationality he may have been. i can answer that. >> what about the atmosphere?

it's absolutely chaotic, people are running in all different directions. >> i heard fellow pedestrians saying oh, my god, the kind of thing you hear during this kind of incident. it's a scary time for everyone in terms of national security. i still don't know what's happening, you may know more than i do, but it was a frightening couple of minutes i have to say. i just got out of the way as quickly as i could, because i was told to do so by the nearest policeman. >> you say there is a cyclist on the ground, -- >> he could have been a pedestrian, clearly had been hit by the four by four that smashed into the railings and that was all i saw. >> alan, thank you very much indeed for your time. i should explain as well why we've been walking, it's because the police keep on widening this area, safe area around the incident. we've been pushed now back to anybody who knows the geography

of london, we've been pushed back to nearly horse perry road. you can see how wide the radius is of this incident. we are getting some more news here. someone in the chamber tells me that the prime minister was in the division lobby when it happened and was escorted out by plane closed policeman and was left in her car. that would tally with what we saw when we came outside to see the detail in the car the prime minister often uses wasn't speeding away from the scene. now, most of us have been pushed back as far as this, the situation obviously clearly still very confused and the police taking no chances. you can see, they're turning away a lot of traffic, forcing out some of the trucks, you can see that there is a some road work going on here. all of these workers are now being evacuated from the area as

well. we try to make sense of what's going on here. i should tell you, i've lost communications with you, so i will leave it back to you in the studio. >> thanks very much indeed. the commons later told mps, a police officer has been stabbed in the alleged assailant was shot following a "serious incident within the parliamentary estate." >> george, what did you see? >> i was watching this from the window by my desk in the press gallery and i saw a large crowd fleeing the attacker who appeared to be carrying a knife, fleeing. he charged the offices and we now know that one of them was

stabbed and he was then very swiftly shot. >> what can you see out of your window now? what's happening? >> there are two ambulances inside parliament. the officer will be seeing medical attention. westminster is in lockdown. journalists are ordered to remain at their desks and the traffic has been obviously stopped as well. >> what are the prime minister's movements? winners and he was inside the building at the time? >> yes, i don't know -- he was in the div a time and i think he has been evacuated. i don't know exactly where she is now. an officer came in and ordered

all journalists to remain at their desks. i think we are all just great let the incident is resolved as swiftly as it was. it was quite a terrifying experience to be witnessing it all from our windows. >> we are hearing that there are a number of armed officers inside parliament. have you seen these people? >> no, i haven't. i've been on my desk the whole time. i've only seen when i described earlier. >> thanks very much. >> if you're just switching on, let's show you the latest footage we have. ordinarily, this time of day, hundreds of tourists, many of them of course with mobile phones filming what they would hope would be happy pictures of london, and said cameras being turned to a very different purpose. as you look at those pictures,

let's go back again to mark white who can bring us the latest. >> yes, i'm just getting confirmation from an official source that one person has been shot by police. that person, we believed to have been an attacker armed with a knife. also, confirmation from this source that a police officer has been injured, suffered knife related injuries is being treated at the scene. there are currently being treated in the old palace yard, looking up a live shot there were you can see the two yellow ambulances inside, that's old palace yard. that's where the two injured are being treated. the man who is believed to be -- i shouldn't say man, because the wasn't confirmed to me, but one person who is believed to be the attacker armed with a knife who was shot by a police officer, 18 police officer who we understand

is suffering from knife related injuries. sources have also confirmed to me that multiple people are injured among westminster bridge. that, we believe is the result of having been struck by a vehicle. multiple people injured, you could be no more specific than multiple people. obviously been seeing some numbers on social media, but we haven't been able to independently confirm that. what we can confirm through this source, multiple people were struck by a vehicle on westminster bridge. this isn't confirmed, but it's speculation from the source that that scene and crashed into the railings. just outside the main entrance to westminster itself. the suspect attacker left the vehicle and managed somehow to get into old palace yard where

he was confronted, attacked an officer, and then was shot. that information, with regard to the same vehicle coming from westminster bridge, is the working theory that authorities are going on at the moment. that's not 100% confirmed, but what is confirmed, from a source, is that multiple people are injured on westminster bridge, having been struck by a vehicle. two people are now injured in old palace yard, one believed to have been an armed attacker, someone armed with a knife who managed to get in beyond the gates to old palace yard, he was confronted by a police officer, that officer, we understand, was attacked, has suffered injuries and along with the attacker is now being treated at the scene. >> market, for now, thanks very much. >> let's talk to alice who we believe is closer to westminster bridge. what can you see from where you

are? >> i'm just at the station. i'm looking at the bridge and up towards the house of parliament. i've counted at least 15 ambulances or paramedics there. there are a number of unmarked police cars here. police are putting up blockades as we speak. two ambulances who just left are going probably towards the hospital which is adjacent to this bridge and that there are a lot of people who are suspected to be milling around, wondering what is going on. it's the scene of sirens and blue lights and high vesta jackets as they lockdown the area. they did with whoever is injured upon the bridge.

>> are getting confirmation from london now as we speak to you that they have sent a number of ambulance crews to westminster alongside their hazardous area response team as well. we have had reports of a number of injuries on westminster bridge, can you give us any sense of what you can see from where you are? >> i can't give you -- i'd be wrong to give you any specifics about how many are injured. i can't see anybody injured. clearly, the fact that there are four ambulances that i can count on the bridge itself, including a fire crew, that is the indication that they are looking after and treating people on the bridge. the other ambulances are queued up and it looks as though they are now waiting for -- to be brought in.

>> thanks very much. >> there's a couple of buses that are being stopped on the bridge. the tour guides that go along central london. it looks as though they were stopped from going anywhere and there were about to evacuate. >> it's worth bearing in mind that st. thomas hospital my a major teaching hospital just on the south bend is opposite the house of parliament. medical help is literally that close. just an apology as well, if any of our live pictures or images, which you may find distressing, you'd understand why. we are trying to bring you a sense of what's happening as quickly as possible. on the line now, richard tice who is an eyewitness. what did you see? >> good afternoon, i came out of westminster which is being locked down me.

which ushered onto the bridge and looked across the west. literally, north to south, i counted between eight and ten figures on the ground. someone next to me said it was a car or vehicle who had driven along the whole pavement knocking people over and that's why there are many injuries or many people laying on the ground starting to be attended to by paramedics. literally, from north to south, the whole length of the bridge, people on the ground who had clearly been injured by either a car or a vehicle. pretty dramatic scene to report of gunshots fired and simultaneously gray and black vehicles arriving with special forces and masks and things. a pretty dramatic scene and people are more than injured.

>> there are reports saying there are between two and 12 people injured on the bridge. which number seems closer to reality? >> i definitely counted at least eight people, the length of the bridge on the ground being tended to. literally, from north to south, the whole length of the bridge. >> okay, richard tice, one of the many, many people who saw these events unfold. >> just getting more information from witnesses who described the events nearest parliament. this person carrying a knife. witnesses described seeing a middle-aged man carrying a knife and running, this is coming from the press association, described as an asian guy in his 40s carrying a knife about seven or 8 inches long. he was running towards parliament being chased by police. >> this might be an appropriate moment to recap on what's

happened. about 30 minutes ago, reports came in initially of loud bangs, fallout bangs in the westminster area. shortly we learned parliament had been suspended and was in a state of lockdown. you can still see the bottom of the frame of that picture that you're looking at which is overlooking parliament square, the statue of winston churchill, you can see them parked up there. if there are ambulances which arrived pretty smartly. that ambulance on the ground, some of the police vehicles at parliament square now by this stage, cleared of traffic and the thousands of tourists and others who wouldn't ordinarily be there. the underground station is also closed, not because we believe there is a threat there, but simply as a procedure. >> also, as the camera pans along westminster bridge, this is also the scene a part of this incident.

we just heard richard tice, eyewitnesses describing how he saw a number of people, some 8-10 people lying on the ground along that bridge, westminster bridge, busy at any time with people taking photographs of big ben and the house of parliament. he said he believes that perhaps the vehicle had driven along the pavement of that bridge. some speculation that could be the vehicle that continued onto parliament and carried the person with a knife. you can see emergency services, many, many of them on that bridge now attending to those people. >> we are on millbank at the moment and we are being pushed back again. they are expanding the radius of this area, this area as they continue their investigation as they try to get as many emergency vehicles into the area as possible. you can see as we walk along side here we're walking parallel, we can see westminster

bridge and all of the double-decker buses that are along there, obviously are still in between. you can see the pulse of blue flashing lights, as more emergency vehicles get through the tape to get there as quickly as possible. millbank is this connecting road -- we are related to the fact that something had happened by a single tweet from one journalist. everybody came running out, as you can imagine as a scene of chaos of people running in the opposite direction. they are trying to expel them as quickly as possible into the area, including dozens of workers who were working on the road around parliament square. they pulled the tip across to

keep the area safe, we started hearing the blades of a helicopter and we saw a red air ambulance land and parliament square, just as the first information was coming out of what had occurred on westminster bridge. we seem to be getting lots of information from people who were on the bridge where it appears that car was mounting the pavement to try to mow people down. but also from journalist inside parliament at the time who saw the attack as we understand by the knife man who has been shot dead. you see the chaotic aftermath of an event such as this with tourists just wandering around here looking fairly bemused as you can see, as please try to seal off the area and the press now being pushed right back, trying to get this area is clear as possible presumably to allow those emergency vehicles and police crews to get in there as quickly and as safely as possible. i'll throw back to you now, i

don't have communications with the studio. >> i just want to stress right now that there is a huge amount of material that's coming in, you can imagine this is an area that is an absolute media hub. lots of people on their phones, capable of taking pictures, commuters, office workers. some of it is reasonable to say distressing. i want to warn you about the picture we are about to show you, but it may help to tell part of a story that's emerging. this is a still image, simply showing somebody straight on the ground before medical attention has reached them. we've partly blurred the image, but we think it may help display part of what's been happening on westminster bridge itself. the top of the frame as you see it come out that, as memory serves, is part of westminster bridge.

whether that's an individual who's been hit by a fast-moving vehicle and flipped over the wall, perhaps someone who was trying to jump out of the way of a fast-moving vehicle, but an image taken in the moments before emergency services arrived. they are now they are great numbers. >> if you're just joining us here, there has been a serious incident outside the house of parliament in london. david, just remind us of the facts we know now. >> we have what appears to be two separate incidents, but we have from a contact, a correspondent and an official source saying that the two instances are probably linked because it looks as though a man described, again, as a middle-aged man armed with a knife some seven or 8 inches long.

it appears he drove a four-wheel-drive vehicle across westminster bridge, mount to the pavement, plowed into a number of people, another witness told us anywhere between 8-10 people, he, it seemed lying on the ground injured. then drove the same vehicle we now believe into the railings of the palace of westminster, which is literally just around the corner and attempted to get into the actual grounds of the parts of westminster itself. there, he was stopped by police officers, he stabbed a police officer and then he himself was shot and is now injured. but the police officer, who was knifed by this man is being attended to by paramedics, and the assailant who was shot by other police officers. whether or not this is the timeline as it unfolded, or whether or not as we heard from

another witness, there were potentially two separate events and one of the men who is driving this vehicle got out and attempted to run away and was fired up by police, they may well in fact be the same person. they may be two separate individuals. if they're the same person, it looks as though the situation is not contained. that person is injured, has been shot, is being attended to by paramedics. if there were two people, then potentially a second person is still out there on the run. i stress, this is unfolding as we speak. clearly, this is a major incident, clearly a number of people have been injured at the very least and again, we get this idea, if it does turn out to be a terror attack, this could be very high-impact.

>> in terms of what's happening in parliament, we know that parliament has not been suspended for the day. we know the prime minister and the chancellor was in the houses of parliament when it happened. >> we can talk to someone who saw the prime minister being taken away. andrew bridge and, mp joined us right now. what did you see? >> we were just on a division, so the lord's amendment to the pensions, there is a series of votes. we were very close with a lobby voting behind the prime minister in the first i realized something was happening when you had a series of votes and she moved away very quickly and she was taken to her car in the speaker's courtyard and then the

security detail got their weapons out and they moved off and took the prime minister out of parliament. >> what was her reaction? was it done in a calm way was there a sense that this was urgent? what was the feeling you got? >> they were professional. it was obvious from their demeanor that this was not a drill and something serious had happened and i've never seen the prime minister moved away by the biggest security policeman i've ever seen. he put his arm around her and took her very, very quickly awa away. we could see that she was taken to her car. weapons were produced by security detail and she was very, very rapidly moved to safety, away from the incident. we are currently all knockdown

now in the house of commons. i believe security is going through and trying to make sure that there's no more assailants. >> i want to talk about being under lockdown. what are they doing? are they simply waiting in their offices? >> we've actually been effectively inside the chamber. everyone's looking around tv screens to get an idea of what was actually going on outside, which i think we're getting an idea of that now, aren't we? >> we are. just to reinforce this -- >> our thoughts are with the police officer who appears to be injured and it shows what an important and potentially dangerous job they do protecting our parliament and democracy. >> andrew, can you give us a sense of the significance of parliament being suspended? it was clearly a necessary precaution given what was happening outside. summing up for us if you can.

>> is a parliamentarian, we know this is a high-risk environment. there are clear potential terrorist targets for various groups. even knowing that in coming to work every day and seeing the security, it's still a bit numbing when it actually happens. it is slightly surreal here. it's not unexpected, it's not expected that this would happen. >> thanks very much. >> more information coming in all the time, we are seeing some images coming to us from inside the palace house which is a building that overlooks westminster bridge. that's where the mps have their officers and they walk across the road to westminster bridge. this vehicle does appear that you can see an aerial view where the ambulances are attending to a number of people who appear to

have been mowed down on that bridge by a vehicle which is believed to have continued on to parliament. let's remind ourselves of what happened in the last hour. parliament is suspended as this gunfire was heard. >> it's clear that the advice from the police, the director of security, is still that the chamber should remain in lockdown. i think is most colleagues will realize, a number of members are also a and other parts and are unable to be present for this business. if there have been conversations through the usual channels. i hope the house would agree that in the current circumstances, it would not be right to continue with today's business. discussions between the usual channels will take place to ensure that the business that has been interrupted can be rescheduled for another neutrally convenient date.

i know that you will want to keep the house, although we remain locked down here informed about any news that comes through from the security authorities. in view of what i sensed to be the mood of the house and the situation of which we find ourselves, i beg to move that house do now adjourned. >> the question is the house is now adjourned. those in favor, say i. the eyes have it. the moment i will get any information, i will share with everybody. just rest assured, we'll keep you informed. please, let's make the best we can of this horrible situation. i will reassure you, as soon as i get something, i will come back to you. we can't go anywhere for the moment, so please see what we can do. >> now we bring it to mark white. >> if you're just joining us here on fox news, welcome to happening now. we continue to filing a

developing breaking news station. what's been described as a very serious incident that happened in london right before 3:00 p.m. their time, before 11:00 a.m. our time eastern. a very busy wednesday, midafternoon of the reports started to come in of shots fired at the government building, the parliament building rate in the heart of london. what we first thought could perhaps be two different incidents, looks like at least according to the latest reports, as one. i will briefly describe what we know and quite friendly, we know very little. we don't have official numbers of those injured, although we do know there are many injuries at this time. what appears to have happened as a man described as middle aged, drove over the westminster bridge and while doing so, mowed down people on that bridge leaving a trail of injured behind him. then he crashes into a gate outside of this government building and proceeds to attack

a police officer with a knife that's been described as 7-8 inches long. at that point, the man, according to reports, is shot by police. quite frankly, that's what we know at this point. the prime minister was inside the parliament building, she hasn't said to be safe at this time. as you just heard it live, it looks like they are going to try to resume some semblance of business inside the building, although the building is in lockdown as well as other journalists that are working as part of this government apparatus in london. we do not know at this point if it is a terrorist attack, although we do feel compelled to tell you that this is the anniversary of the terror attack and belgium. we don't want to connect the two, we don't have that information. the timing may or may not be significant and that's why i'm mentioning it now. bring it back to the united states, the new york police to permit has just put out on their twitter feed that they are monitoring the developing situation in london.

that is key as new york city is our biggest city in the country and perhaps there could be repercussions. again, we wait to hear more. also, we see that president trump is being briefed on this developing situation in london as well. your hand from our sister network, sky news, they are based in london and they have some of the best sources in the business on this breaking news story and we are going to rejoin them now as they continue to cover what again, appears to be a very serious incident. no numbers of those injured, but definitely a big breaking news story today. let's go ahead and rejoin sky news. >> at this stage, we are told that the police officer and the attacker have been injured, no further details on that, but again, images that we have seen from the area within the palace yard indicate a couple of people in there, one lying down, one sitting up. they are treated by paramedics at the scene.

we are talking about one incident from the information that we are getting from this source. they are speeding down into parliament square and crashing into the fence, the metal fence outside the houses of parliament by causing more casualties ther there. the incidents inside where one alleged attacker, armed with a knife, but it into the old palace yard, confronted by police officers, attacked and stabbed one of those officers, and was shot by colleagues of that injured officer. >> thanks very much. >> if you're just switching on, we'll try to recap some of the latest of elements on the story. please are now saying that they are treating this attack as a

terrorist incident until "we know otherwise." at the latest from the metropolitan police. robert, what's your view? >> as you can imagine, a huge amount of police activity where we are at the end of lambeth bridge bridge, we're standing at the end of milbank. we've also got a pretty good view of westminster bridge and we can see their all of the double-decker buses that are obviously nonstationary, the flashing lights there. it would police have tried to do is obviously get to the scene as quickly as possible as well as remove people from the scene as well. there is still some quite shocked people stumbling around, not quite sure what is going on. at some of them clearly tourist. but also a lot of reporters around here as well.

we heard very swiftly about what had happened. we are confronted by the san people running away from parliament, of milbank towards the bridge here. we also just a few minutes after we came out of the building, saw a silver jaguar moving at speed away from parliament and then down by the side just up westminster. we now believe that the prime minister, teresa may come away with inside that car. what is happening, to add to what mark has been saying they are, obviously there is the immediate response to treat those people that are still lying injured at the various pressure points on the bridge, where the car apparently mounted the pavement. also, at that railing where the car crashed into the railing as well as in old palace yard

itself. there is treatment of those people, but also, there is the effort to gather evidence and try to piece together what happened. to that end, they want us reporters with cameras as far away as possible as they carry out their work. if there are still people inside these buildings along here, along milbank who are trapped inside. they are being told they can't come out and so therefore, this is still very much of course active crime scene as they try to piece together what has happened. we did just see within the last few minutes, and an ambulance and came past here with police escorts at the front and the back. there is a speculation among some of us here in the press whether that potentially was the attacker or perhaps someone involved in it. at those police were clearly guarding the ambulance as it left the scene. as i hear sirens coming from almost every direction it seems, it is still very obviously an

ongoing situation. a fire engine that's coming down through here, that's a first we've seen of those, but obviously considerable act. >> for now, we'll say thank you. >> we can bring you up this story. sean spicer, president trump's press officer has announced that the president has been briefed on the situation and the u.k. and is continuing to monitor and be updated on the situation. in terms of a number of emergency services that we are seeing, the embolus is parked on the square, we have seen a number of ambulances on westminster bridge. they are asking people in the area to only call for an ambulance in a genuine emergency. they're using a great number of resources in central london at the moment. >> we can talk to our editor mark white who is in westminster now. there is a working theory as to what's happened here, but

obviously, the police presence has been beefed up. based on the idea they do not know if this is completely finished. >> of course, they know from past terrorist incidents and at the moment, scotland yard are confirming this is being treated like a terrorist incident until they know otherwise. we've seen it past terrorist attacks on july 21st of may 2005 where you've had multiple incidents that have unfolded. this may be just a single incident and that's where it stands, but the police will of course take no chances and that's why you're seeing, especially around the central london, crowded areas and enhanced police presence to make sure they can do as much as possible to be there should the

worst happen. i can confirm to you from a source that terrorism specialist firearms have now arrived on scene. these forces are the elites of the firearms unit. they are specifically trained to deal with encountering terrorism incidents. just on sunday, i was done on the river tames with an exercise with the officers where they were involved. they were boarding one of these riverboat pleasure cruises where apparently the scenario as hostages on board. they train for this regularly. clearly, they have been dispatched to the scene. what they are doing at the moment is helping in this area search on the houses of parliament. you can see, there from the images, that is one of the

helicopters that was down there on the green of parliament square, which is just lifted off with one of the injured. what we don't know, both the alleged attacker and the policeman who are being treated at the scene, it may be one or the other or indeed both of them could be on board that helicopter, but also, we are hearing reports of multiple injured on westminster bridge. if you're talking about very seriously injured people, they may have evacuated them by helicopter as well. one of the good points in terms of geographically, as you mentioned before, you have got st. thomas hospital just across the river tames, it is a major trauma unit and equal to deal with an incident like this. it is an incident that is still unfolding in terms of casualties. you are still injured being treated at the scene by members of the emergency services

paramedics, fire officers as you can see the scene there as well, and many police now taking up positions to guard. these county terrorism firearms officers are taking part in a systematic search of the horses of parliament. we believe from reports we're getting and certainly a senior source was able to tell me that there was one attacker, they can't take the chance of it was just one attacker. these incidents by the very nature a fast moving and very. it's possible that there may be other people, and that's why you've got this systematic search now of the houses of parliament with these counterterrorism specialists from officers and other firearms officers. they are all being brought in now to the center of london to help out and what will be a major search and unfortunately, until they deem -- many of the

officers within that building will remain on lockdown and that may mean mps, members of the lords, other offices, having to remain until they are eventually allowed to go, but i'm sure people will be very understanding that this incident is unfolding here. >> thanks very much. >> we've got a lot of people down on the ground there. let's talk to alex who is very close to the bridge where there are a number of people still receiving medical treatment. what are you able to tell us? >> they look like they might be -- i might have to leave you before they move us. i'm going to bring in a student. if you didn't actually see the incident itself, but you are on the scene.

>> i walked out and i think someone my age said there's been a terro bridge bridge. i ran over and i walked up to the bridge and asked what happened in the scenes are pretty terrible. >> within the bounds of decency can you tell us what you did see? >> i saw three or four people who have been hit by a car and some car parts on the road. >> you're pretty sure they've been hit by a car? >> yeah. i spoke to people there as well, people were talking and a man who worked in a souvenir shop. >> >> sounds like the sound disappearing. this might be an opportune moment to recap what's happened so far, we can officially say

and also with other people are saying to. it was 18 minutes to 3:00 when first reports came through of a number of loud bangs in the westminster area. we've been reporting since then, police have drawn the conclusion or at least a they're saying tentatively that it has the makings of a terrorist attack. they're not confirming that at this stage. parliament was quickly suspended. as we been told a few moments ago, now a painstaking process involving dozens of armed police offices underway to make sure parliament itself under lock down with mps can find it to the building, is currently underway. every single room will be searched as a matter of caution at this stage. the underground station on westminster has been closed.

again, we believe as part of a procedure at times like this rather than acting in response to a particular terror event at westminster station. the prime minister, we heard from one source, who saw the prime minister and the lobbies voting and had been approached by plainclothes officers who ushered her away with their guns at the ready. she's entirely safe and probably back down at downing street. >> you're seeing the pictures at the moment of westminster bridge where we believe there are a number of people injured whilst on the bridge. emergency services are there and it's very, very close to st. thomas hospital. mostly emergency services were able to get to the scene very, very quickly. you can see there is a still a great deal of activity there. a place close to this entire area now to avoid the entire area by vehicles.

police are asking to not call an ambulance unless it is an absolute emergency. robert, what can you see now? >> as you can tell here, we are being kept at some distance every now and again we hear thi this. the police tried to move the cameras and the journalists out of the way for another emergency vehicle to come on through. of course, what you have here, just for people who don't know the geography of london, this is a considerably busy place, not just for the business of parliament, but also a number of tourists coming through. you can see the communication here between some of the police officers as another ambulance goes behind us here. a number of tourists in the area, as well as thousands of quarts of office workers who work here. there are also a bunch of

schoolchildren were looking completely bemused at the end of this road. they want to get down here to catch their boss, but there were being pushed back the other way. this whole area is being sold off. you're getting a pushback in traffic. there is still that crisp edge that you can feel at times from both of the terrorist attacks i covered that all the police and emergency service or to just tense around them, that tension is radiating out as they try to keep this area clear for emergency vehicles to come in. within a number of emblems is coming out. there's been some speculation here as to whether containing

that is of interest. another helicopter directly above us, it may well be one of the cruise that is catching the images of what is happening on the bridges beneath us as well. obviously, huge amount of activity here as please try to establish what is happening, keep the area secure and also get those injured people in and out as well as of course conducting the initial stages of an investigation to try to piece together what is happening. >> robert, thanks very much. more and more images are coming into us. metropolitan police are asking if anyone has visual of the incident, pass it on to them. >> we are sifting through them, as judiciously as possible, well telling you a very dramatic story, aware of sensitivities at a time like this. here is a number of the pictures amongst the many that are currently circulating which gives you a sense of what is happened this lunchtime on

westminster bridge as we believe a four by four car has been driven at speed along the pavement, heading towards the palace of westminster where then crashed into the area. we know there are huge concrete blocks designed to stop any vehicle from actually mounting the pavement. it's our understanding that is cut along the pavement according to reports in our sources and it then carried on down toward big ben and then gone around and crashed into the gates. a number of people clearly receiving medical attention. this is very close to st. thomas hospital, a major trauma unit just meters away from her all of this is unfolding. let me share with you a statement from london ambulance. he said "we were called at two: 42 westminster bridge where the first crew arriving within

6 minutes underlining the point we are making. we have sent ambulance crews, our hazardous area response team. we're working closely with other members of emergency services. we have declared a major incident and ensure that their treating." they close by saying they are very busy with this incident and asked for the public to only call in a genuine emergency. >> there is another image we can show you, i should warn you it may be distressing to some viewers, but it is somebody who is clearly affected by what happened this afternoon. we believe these are the steps, you can see the river tames just the top left of the screen ther there. this very much looks like somebody who is on the bridge, whether or not they were hit by a car and perhaps turnover or felt on the steps. that's someone who is affected

earlier before medical treatment arrived. this is the latest footage we can bring you live in westminster of what is happening there on the ground, a huge number of emergency services there at the moment. at the area being evacuated here that you not running in that area as well. police are asking people to stay away and trying to clear that area as effectively as they can. >> as we continue to look at these pictures, let's go back to mark white who can reflect. it is not too early, the fact that this is one of the most sensitive terrorist threat locations in the world. precautions have been taken to prevent these types of attacks. >> yes, the police regularly tell us as we report regularly on the threat facing the u.k. the terror threat currently stands at its second-highest

level, that is that an attack is highly likely. at the highest level is critical, which means effectively an attack is underway. we haven't heard from the home offices yet as to whether that threat level is likely to rise or whether they think this may be just a one off they can stay severe. in those briefings that we get regularly, this stress, we're almost weary at times of the constant stressing of the security services about the threat that we face. there is a sense that there have been no incidents of any significance. the police and security services are on top of everything. to a large extent, they are. they thwarted 13 terrorist attacks in this country in the

past four years. they also stress constantly that it only takes one incident, one person that they might not be across, they may be unsophisticated attacks, they can be horrific as clearly we are seeing the nature of what is unfolding here. in terms of the technology in the plotting and planning that's involved, they are fairly low in sophistication. all you need is a car and a knife, anybody can go into their own kitchen and pick up a lethal knife. it's very difficult at times to guard against an individual that my want to cause such destruction and chaos in the center of the big city if they are so minded do that. they do monitor and they are aware of about 3,000 middles in this country who have the kind of extremist views that they may

well enact on violence but they have make judgment calls all the time. they have to prioritize who they should devote a lot of time to in terms of monitoring. they just don't have the resources to monitor everybody all of the time. sometimes, those judgment calls mean that an individual that's known to them might not be monitored properly or it may be an individual who is not monitored. we may find out that kind of information in the days ahead. what we are now witnessing is very much an unfolding incident at scotland yard. they are treating it as a terrorist incident. outside the horses houses of pt parliament. i'm just confirming to you what my senior security source has told me this afternoon in terms of the events. it happened on westminster bridge with the vehicle that plowed into a number of

pedestrians were on that bridge appeared for most of the way across the bridge. that vehicle had mounted and smashed into a number of pedestrians who are being treated, some of them still being treated and triaged on the bridge by paramedics and other members of the emergency services. the vehicle, a four by four hyundai as we understand. at speed, drove into parliament square and then crashed into the perimeter fence around the houses of parliament. at that point, we are told it caused more injuries to people who are on the pavement just outside the palaces of westminster. at this stage, we are told they believe is one attacker, that alleged attacker left the vehicle armed with a knife, managed to wrestle his way through police officers and into old palace yard just beyond the

main gates into the palaces of westminster. he was tackled by a police officer who then sustained knife injuries and then one of the police officers colleagues, a manner he told the diplomatic attention group and who guard westminster and are armed that officer shot this attacker multiple times. at this stage, we been told that the both the police officer and the alleged attacker are injured, we have no more information and the extent of their injuries, but they again, have been treated at the scene within the last few minutes. we saw helicopter laid the grounds of parliament square presumably heading to one of the major trauma units, maybe st. thomas hospital just on the other side of the river. other injured have been taken by these ambulances that are now there insignificant numbers. the london ambulance service has

described this as a major incident. >> for now, we'll say thank you. it just to underline what mark was saying, there was a someone with a vehicle and a knife able to generate headlines around the world. at the u.s. state department in washington says it is closely following the "concerning situation outside the u.k. parliament." >> let's talk to an mp who is inside parliament which is on lockdown since this incident happened this afternoon. what was the first you knew of this? >> the first i knew was that the parliament members really shout. they were shouting coming on the escalator. as i got to the bottom of the escalator, we the people running towards me. i obviously returned to my office. we were all thinking of the

injured people and marveling at the police and ambulance services. we are staying in our offices with the doors shut. >> how fearful are you? >> we not fearful at all. we have all the faith and the police. or watching sky news and we think you're doing externally well. >> it appears as person is able to get inside the perimeter, that's concerning, is it not? a look at the procedures in place, it will raise questions as to how on earth this was able to happen. >> it's very difficult when you live in a democracy and you have a place where you have thousands and thousands of people at work to secure everything. there are obvious things i can always improve, but it's a balance between access and security.

let's be fair, that was a pretty impressive response by the police given they do know that was coming. >> in terms of security at westminster, to those who don't know, talk us through a kind of security you have to go through on a daily basis. >> i think it's pretty unhelpful to discuss that on tv. >> okay, fair enough. what i'm trying to get at is that there is an exhaustive security procedure. it is certainly a well thought through process. >> yes, there are always things that can improve. i think it's pretty good and we have to do now is think about the injured people ammo the cops get on with their job and will wait patiently watching sky new sky news. >> thank you very much. >> not just parliamentary business, scottish parliament debates have been suspended as well.