Westminster Terror Attack: BBC News 7.00pm-8.00pm BBC News Special


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you can, lots more coverage coming from some of the people that have

:00:00.:00:00.

seen it and some analysis to. You have been watching BBC News.

:00:00.:00:14.

Terrorism in the heart of Westminster - a vehicle and knife

:00:15.:00:20.

attack has left four people, including a police officer, dead.

:00:21.:00:23.

Eyewitnesses say a car "mowed down" pedestrians

:00:24.:00:24.

on Westminster Bridge before crashing into railings

:00:25.:00:26.

At least two people who were hit have died,

:00:27.:00:29.

On the other side of the road there was a body and when I looked

:00:30.:00:34.

When I looked over the side of the bridge, there appeared to be

:00:35.:00:39.

It's believed a short time after, the attacker stabbed a police

:00:40.:00:45.

officer outside Parliament - who has since died

:00:46.:00:47.

The attacker was shot an apprehended by police.

:00:48.:00:52.

He is also known to be one of the number who have died.

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The Prime Minister was in Parliament but is now back in Downing Street -

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she will chair an emergency Cobra meeting tonight -

:01:01.:01:03.

We now have an ongoing operation, and whilst we currently believe

:01:04.:01:15.

there was only one attacker, I'm sure the public will understand us

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taking every precaution in locking down and searching the area as

:01:21.:01:22.

thoroughly and exhaustively as possible. I'm reporting live from

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the edge of the police cord and in Westminster where there is still

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intense police activity tonight. Police are warning the public to

:01:35.:01:36.

remain vigilant this morning. Good evening and

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welcome to BBC News. Westminster is in a state

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of emergency tonight, after what the Metropolitan Police

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described as a terror incident. Four people are known to have died

:01:59.:02:01.

including an attacker. A police officer was killed

:02:02.:02:04.

inside the parliamentary grounds. An attacker is reported to have run

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down several pedestrians on Westminster Bridge before

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crashing into railings. Others suffered "catastrophic"

:02:15.:02:16.

injuries, according The attacker is then reported

:02:17.:02:24.

to have run through the gates of the Palace of Westminster

:02:25.:02:28.

and stabbed the police officer. The officer has died

:02:29.:02:30.

from his injuries. Eyewitnesses said the attacker

:02:31.:02:31.

was shot by police as he approached During the attack, MPs in the House

:02:32.:02:34.

of Commons were told to lie on the floor for their own safety.

:02:35.:02:42.

A spokesman for ten Downing Street has released a statement saying:

:02:43.:02:45.

The thoughts of the PM and the Government are with those

:02:46.:02:48.

killed and injured in this appalling The PM is being kept updated

:02:49.:02:51.

and will shortly chair Cobra. Ben Brown is in Westminster this

:02:52.:03:11.

evening. We are just at the edge of the police cordon that has been

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established ever since this incident happened, a lot of police activity

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still. Police cars are racing around the streets nearby, we can hear

:03:21.:03:24.

police helicopters in the sky and ambulances are moving around quickly

:03:25.:03:29.

as well. The police are saying they are putting extra officers on the

:03:30.:03:32.

street of the capital this evening, they are warning the public to

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remain vigilant. They are asking the public for any information about

:03:38.:03:40.

this incident, whether they saw it, whether they took pictures, they

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want that information. The latest we have is four people have died,

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including the attacker and as many as 20 people have been injured. Many

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of them being treated at St Thomas' Hospital, including three French

:03:58.:04:00.

schoolchildren. In terms of what happened at Westminster, MPs and

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peers and other workers were on lockdown for a number of hours.

:04:08.:04:10.

They've been moved from the Palace of Westminster to Westminster Abbey

:04:11.:04:15.

to safety, and some office workers we've just been talking to have now

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been allowed out of the cordoned area. They've been allowed to go

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home from this area of Westminster that has been on lockdown.

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Our first report tonight is from our political editor,

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Laura Kuenssberg who has been inside Parliament.

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The shouts around the hearts of Westminster.

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Members of the public, politicians, the hundreds of staff

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for whom this is work, in politics, but some,

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There are at least a couple of hundred people

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This is the heart of where Westminster does its business

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and we're part of a lockdown after what happened outside.

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A police officer has told me one man was shot at the front,

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and people heard three of gunshots on their way to vote.

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This is a place that is tightly guarded at all times,

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but a sense of shock, finally it appears something

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so serious has happened right here in the heart of Westminster.

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I am now going to suspend the sitting of the House.

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This house is now suspended, but please wait here.

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Then in a chamber that sat through all sorts

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There has been a serious incident within the estate.

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It seems that a police officer has been stabbed.

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That the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.

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An air ambulance is currently attending the scene

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There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity

:06:25.:06:32.

of the Palace of Westminster, but I hope colleagues

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on all sides will appreciate, that it will be wrong of me

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here to go into further details until we have confirmation

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from the police and from the House security authorities

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As the seriousness of the attack began to spread, MPs

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told me they heard three or four gunshots on their way to vote.

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Others saw with their eyes, from their office windows.

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We saw a thickset man in black clothes come through the gates

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New Palace Yard is just below Big Ben.

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This man had something in his hand, it looked like a stick.

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He was challenged by a couple of policemen in yellow jackets.

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We could see the man in black moving his arm in a way that

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suggested he was either stabbing or striking the yellow

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One of the policemen ran to get help, which was very,

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As this attacker was running towards the entrance used by MPs,

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two plainclothes guys with guns shouted at him, uttered

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He ignored it and they shot two or three times and he fell.

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I heard what I thought was just a collision.

:08:06.:08:21.

And then I looked out the window of the taxi and I saw someone down,

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Then I saw a second person down and I started filming and I saw

:08:25.:08:29.

three more people down, one of them bleeding profusely.

:08:30.:08:32.

So what I saw was an incident involving at least five

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I was just walking across the bridge when suddenly a bus stopped,

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people were screaming and came off the bus and they seemed very upset.

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Then I saw what appeared to be a trainer on the side of the road.

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On the other side of the road there was a body and when I looked

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On the other side of the bridge, there appeared to be a body

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A car and driver intent on taking the lives of those who came to see.

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What is normally a safe circle, the most tightly guarded part

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The Counter Terrorism Command are carrying out a full-scale

:09:12.:09:30.

investigation into the events today. The attack started when a car was

:09:31.:09:33.

driven over Westminster Bridge, hitting and injuring a number of

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members of the public, also including three police officers on

:09:38.:09:41.

their way back from a commendation ceremony. The car crashed near to

:09:42.:09:45.

Parliament and at least one man, armed with a knife, continued the

:09:46.:09:49.

attack and tried to enter Parliament. Sadly I can confirm that

:09:50.:09:54.

now four people have died. That includes the police officer who was

:09:55.:09:58.

protecting Parliament, and one man we believe to be an attacker who was

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shot by a police firearms officer. Police and the government

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are considering there's attack For an attack to stop democracy, not

:10:07.:10:10.

just politicians who came to work, but hundreds of people to visit

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and be part of this place. I have been here with a group

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of students and we are in a building which is close to the Riverside

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and quite near where Little did they know what kind of

:10:31.:10:38.

situation would unfold. It's still very hard to believe what's happened

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here today. An attack, that in theory,

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many expected to come to London again one day,

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but the truth of an event like this in practice,

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a shock in our parliament, Whatever the motive, an effort

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to stop our democracy in its tracks. Laura Kuenssberg reporting. The

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Prime Minister was in the Palace of Westminster when it happened and was

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whisked away, driven straight to Downing Street. We gather this

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evening she is chairing a meeting of Cobra, the government's emergency

:11:15.:11:18.

committee. There is expected to be the Home Secretary Amber Rudd there.

:11:19.:11:22.

We do not yet know the full impact of this terrible incident. I know

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that the whole country will be thinking and praying for those who

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are affected, as I am. I want to thank the emergency services for the

:11:36.:11:41.

quick response, and pay tribute to their bravery, their courage and

:11:42.:11:45.

their professionalism. I've been briefed by the Met police and by the

:11:46.:11:50.

security services, and the security minister has also been updated. This

:11:51.:11:56.

is an ongoing incident, and the government will continue to be

:11:57.:12:00.

updated. The Prime Minister will chair Cobra today. The government's

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top priority is the security of its people. And I urge everyone to

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remain calm, but to be vigilant, and if they see anything they are

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concerned about, they should report it to the police. We have the best

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police, the best security services in the world, and we must make sure

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that we let them get on with doing their job. The British people will

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be united in working together to defeat those who would harm our

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shared values. By use of democracy, tolerance, and the rule of law. --

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values of democracy. Values symbolised by the houses of

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Parliament, values that will never be destroyed.

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That was the Home Secretary Amber Rudd speaking a while ago. We expect

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that Cobra meeting to get under way shortly. Let's speak now to

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Professor Michael Clarke, professor of defence studies and a security

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expert. What are the implications of this attack? The authorities have

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been expecting something like this for some time. This is only the

:13:17.:13:22.

third successful attack since 2001, the 911 attacks themselves. In a

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way, we've been waiting for this data arrive and it's arrived. It's

:13:27.:13:30.

pretty gruesome but it could have been a lot worse. If you drive a

:13:31.:13:35.

truck into a group of tourists, you could kill a great number, and

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trying something in the Palace of Westminster, this gentleman who

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allegedly committed the attack didn't have a gun, it was a knife.

:13:43.:13:47.

It could have been a lot worse. We are grateful for small mercies but

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this day has been a long time coming. It is the one-year

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anniversary of the Brussels attack, is that a coincidence or could that

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be part of the planning behind this attack? The authorities will be

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thinking about that. Generally speaking, terrorist attacks aren't

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usually times on anniversaries and I'd be surprised if this one was. It

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looks like a lone wolf attack at the moment but the government will be

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asking itself, could this be the beginning of a campaign? Is there

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any intelligence which indicates this is one of several in the

:14:20.:14:22.

pipeline, and who does this alleged attacker connect to? The police have

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been out and about in a big way, their first concern is, is it over

:14:30.:14:35.

now or is there another phase still in the pipeline? Secondly, if it's

:14:36.:14:38.

over, does it connect to something bigger? They know the Golden hour is

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the 24 hours after the attack when they can check on this person's

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connections. We've been told many times that MI5 and the

:14:49.:14:51.

counterterrorism police have foiled a number of plots in the last years.

:14:52.:14:56.

There was a figure of 13 given recently, but they always said they

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couldn't stop them all. Absolutely, it's the law of averages. 13 stopped

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since 2013. They say it's about four or five per year that they foil. Our

:15:09.:15:13.

own research records indicate there have been a good 70 plots since

:15:14.:15:19.

2001. Only three have been successful. But sooner or later in

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an open society, in a place where tourists go, somebody is going to

:15:24.:15:27.

get through. You don't have to be very expert to commit enormous

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destruction in open societies. If it's not a conspiracy, if it turns

:15:33.:15:36.

out to be a lone wolf, that is obviously so much harder to stop

:15:37.:15:40.

because there are maybe no communications whatsoever. That's

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true. On the face of it, let's be cautious, but on the face of it this

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looks like a lone wolf attack. But lone wolves never acted entirely

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alone. They always connect a somebody. There are very few cases

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of what the authorities call clean skins. People who have come out of

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nowhere. Usually they turn out to be inspired by somebody, usually they

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have a background in petty crime, they will be known to someone. The

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big question in this case is, was he on the radar somewhere, and I bet he

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was. Almost always they are on the radar somewhere, but the radar is

:16:18.:16:21.

pretty extensive. Always the problem we hear again and again, even if

:16:22.:16:26.

somebody is on the radar, they have to prioritise. 24 hour surveillance

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of anyone is labour intensive, you can't carry out surveillance on

:16:32.:16:35.

everyone who is on your radar. Absolutely right. Authorities are in

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a process of risk calculation. They say, who are the core people we

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worry about. To put a tag on somebody 24-7, takes something of

:16:45.:16:53.

the order of 20-30 officers. All the time they are looking at individuals

:16:54.:16:57.

and saying, this person is potentially dangerous, let's leave

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him or her in the background until we hear something else. Every now

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and then somebody pops up from Tier three or four of the risk register

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and they come into Tier one. There's no way you can register against that

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unless you want to go into a Stasi-style Secret Service. We don't

:17:18.:17:20.

do that, we aren't that sort of society. Thank you for your

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thoughts. Professor of defence studies and a security expert. The

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death toll is currently standing at four including the attacker. The

:17:33.:17:38.

police officer who was stabbed and then two other victims. One of them

:17:39.:17:42.

a woman. 20 people we gather were injured on the bridge as that

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vehicle ran into pedestrians on the bridge, including three young French

:17:49.:17:52.

schoolchildren, who were on a school trip to London. Many of the

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casualties being treated at St Thomas' Hospital just across the

:17:57.:18:00.

river from Westminster. Let's go to our correspondent Sophie Hutchinson.

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I'm at St Thomas' Hospital, which is just across the river from the

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Houses of Parliament where the attack took place. Just next to the

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bridge where the car allegedly mowed down a group of people. If you have

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a look around at the aftermath of some of the scene, you can see the

:18:25.:18:29.

aftermath of the emergency response with a dozen or more ambulances,

:18:30.:18:34.

just in the street here beside the hospital. That is the hospital in

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the background. Next to it, you can see this sightseeing bus which seems

:18:40.:18:44.

to have been abandoned, as the attack took place. Also just some

:18:45.:18:49.

ordinary cars, also abandoned as it happened. The London ambulance say

:18:50.:18:56.

they arrived at, well, they were called at 2:40pm, they treated at

:18:57.:19:00.

least ten people on Westminster Bridge. Westminster Bridge is just

:19:01.:19:06.

behind this bus. Staff at St Thomas' Hospital, as they heard of the

:19:07.:19:10.

attack, they rushed out to try to help people at the scene. It was a

:19:11.:19:15.

junior doctor here at St Thomas' Hospital, who was the first to say

:19:16.:19:19.

that somebody had died. A woman died at the scene on the bridge after

:19:20.:19:28.

being hit by that car. He also said there were catastrophic injuries for

:19:29.:19:32.

many of the other people. This hospital here isn't one of the main

:19:33.:19:36.

trauma centres, it has some trauma services, but we know that at least

:19:37.:19:42.

five people have been taken to be treated at King's College Hospital

:19:43.:19:45.

in south-east London which is one of the main trauma centres. We don't

:19:46.:19:49.

know any more about the treatment they are having, or their condition

:19:50.:19:55.

at the moment. We also know a woman has been treated for serious

:19:56.:19:58.

injuries after falling into the River Thames. That's all the update

:19:59.:20:05.

we have at the moment on what are at least 20 people who were injured in

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this attack. Major hospitals like St Thomas'

:20:07.:20:16.

Hospital Du train for an incident of this kind, a really serious terror

:20:17.:20:22.

incident. That's right, absolutely. They have a plan that they can carry

:20:23.:20:28.

out when a major incident like this takes place. That is some of what

:20:29.:20:35.

you are seeing here on the street, these ambulances just beside me, you

:20:36.:20:39.

get some measure of the scale of the response. At the time they didn't

:20:40.:20:46.

know how widespread this attack was, and what kind of response it

:20:47.:20:50.

merited. We also saw an air ambulance going backwards and

:20:51.:20:57.

forwards from Parliament Square. Presumably taking casualties to one

:20:58.:21:01.

of those major trauma centres, it is obviously extremely important they

:21:02.:21:05.

are taken there as as soon as possible, that's why these big

:21:06.:21:09.

centres are setup to be able to respond to an incident of that

:21:10.:21:14.

nature. Obviously the ground there were individual members of staff,

:21:15.:21:18.

doctors and nurses who came out with stretchers, going back and forth

:21:19.:21:21.

across Westminster Bridge, just trying to help out in the moment

:21:22.:21:33.

when the tactic place. Thank you. What's the latest from King's

:21:34.:21:39.

College Hospital? We heard a short while ago from King's College

:21:40.:21:41.

Hospital that they are treating eight people who were injured in the

:21:42.:21:45.

terrorist attack. They've told us six of those are men, two are women.

:21:46.:21:50.

Two of those are critically ill and the other six are stable. Tonight

:21:51.:21:55.

the hospital has declared a major incident and it is asking the public

:21:56.:22:00.

not to come to A unless it's absolutely crucial. As you've heard,

:22:01.:22:07.

there were four people killed and 20 injured. Most of those treated at St

:22:08.:22:11.

Thomas' Hospital, where some of the injuries have been described as

:22:12.:22:15.

catastrophic. Tonight all the medical teams involved have been

:22:16.:22:17.

praised for their hard work and dedication. Thank you. The

:22:18.:22:26.

Metropolitan Police are telling us they've opened a casualty bureau.

:22:27.:22:31.

Let me give you the details. It is now open and if you want to ring, if

:22:32.:22:36.

you are worried about family or friends involved in today's

:22:37.:22:39.

incident, you can call the Metropolitan Police casualty bureau

:22:40.:22:45.

on 0800 056 0944. Or 0207 1580 010. If you are worried

:22:46.:23:11.

about anyone call one of those numbers. The Metropolitan Police say

:23:12.:23:19.

please call that number and choose either the numbers listed above, or

:23:20.:23:24.

choose option two. Demand on that number will be high. Keep trying.

:23:25.:23:30.

Let's get the latest from my colleague Adam Fleming in

:23:31.:23:37.

Westminster. I'm outside Westminster Abbey just on the other side of

:23:38.:23:44.

Parliament Square from the houses of Parliament. Normally we see this

:23:45.:23:54.

square during national events. Today it is acting as a place of safety

:23:55.:23:58.

from people evacuated in the aftermath of the incident outside

:23:59.:24:01.

Parliament today. They've been inside for a couple of hours now,

:24:02.:24:06.

the dean of the cathedral saying he was happy to welcome people as a

:24:07.:24:10.

place of safety. He offered a prey as people arrived at the building.

:24:11.:24:15.

It's also been turned into a temporary police station. There has

:24:16.:24:18.

been a constant stream of police officers passing through the cordon

:24:19.:24:23.

going into the building. They are interviewing eyewitnesses to the

:24:24.:24:26.

attack that happened on Parliament today, gathering as much information

:24:27.:24:30.

and evidence as possible for the investigation into how this

:24:31.:24:34.

happened, who was behind it, and also presumably looking at the

:24:35.:24:38.

security indications for these buildings in this area. You can hear

:24:39.:24:41.

a police helicopter circling above us. There were loads of members the

:24:42.:24:47.

international media here, and several police vans parked inside

:24:48.:24:51.

the secure cordon that has been set up. One of the irony is being that

:24:52.:24:55.

this bit of road has been called broad Sanctuary, that is what it has

:24:56.:25:00.

been, a sanctuary for people caught up in this attack. Let's picked our

:25:01.:25:07.

political correspondent who has been at Westminster all day. We were just

:25:08.:25:12.

hearing about the MPs and peers, people evacuated to Westminster

:25:13.:25:16.

Abbey, such a dramatic day here at Westminster. I understand those

:25:17.:25:19.

people will be three arched they will be interviewed and people will

:25:20.:25:23.

be asked what they saw and where they were when it happened --

:25:24.:25:30.

triaged. The Prime Minister has returned back to Downing Street. We

:25:31.:25:34.

know she is back in the building. She was in the House of Commons when

:25:35.:25:38.

this happened, witnesses say they saw her bundled into a car before

:25:39.:25:42.

being taken to Downing Street. She is due to hold an emergency Cobra

:25:43.:25:46.

meeting tonight, we will be keeping an eye on what we get out of that

:25:47.:25:55.

meeting. Thank you. Our political correspondent and the Metropolitan

:25:56.:25:58.

Police saying four people are now dead and at least 20 injured. That's

:25:59.:26:03.

the latest from Westminster, live coverage throughout the evening.

:26:04.:26:13.

You're watching BBC News. We were hearing from the Metropolitan Police

:26:14.:26:18.

a lot of details about what happens. Daniel Sandford is our home affairs

:26:19.:26:21.

correspondent. Bring us up-to-date with your understanding of what the

:26:22.:26:29.

police are telling us tonight. The Metropolitan Police have declared

:26:30.:26:32.

this is a counterterrorism incident, there is a major investigation

:26:33.:26:37.

underway. I'm standing outside the new headquarters of the Metropolitan

:26:38.:26:41.

Police New Scotland Yard which hasn't even been officially opened.

:26:42.:26:47.

Today they had a major terrorist incident literally on their

:26:48.:26:49.

doorstep. Westminster Bridge is less than a hundred metres up the road

:26:50.:26:53.

from here. To Mike Westminster Bridge is a crime scene, where at

:26:54.:26:58.

least eight people were hit by this vehicle as it came over the bridge.

:26:59.:27:02.

Somebody else appears to have ended up in the river, as a result of that

:27:03.:27:06.

incident. The vehicle then turned around the corner just behind New

:27:07.:27:11.

Scotland Yard, smashed into the side of Parliament, and the assailant got

:27:12.:27:16.

out, attacked a police officer who has now unfortunately died, before

:27:17.:27:21.

the assailant himself was shot dead by police. Two other people, apart

:27:22.:27:26.

from that police officer and the assailant died, and we believe they

:27:27.:27:31.

died as the car mowed through tourists, schoolchildren, students

:27:32.:27:35.

and people on their way from work, and on their way to work from their

:27:36.:27:39.

lunch break on Westminster Bridge. Mark Rowley the Acting Deputy

:27:40.:27:47.

Commissioner who is also the national coordinator for

:27:48.:27:49.

counterterrorism briefed us outside Scotland Yard earlier this evening.

:27:50.:27:52.

It's possible he will give us an update later on this evening, and

:27:53.:27:58.

Scotland Yard have to face up to the fact that they've had to deal with

:27:59.:28:01.

today what they've been worrying about the several years now. Really

:28:02.:28:05.

since the attack on Lee Rigby, not only an attack on the seat of UK

:28:06.:28:13.

politics, but an attack on one of their own offices. And, as it turns

:28:14.:28:16.

out, right on their very doorstep as well. Thank you. We gather the Prime

:28:17.:28:24.

Minister is chairing a meeting of the government's emergency committee

:28:25.:28:27.

Cobra this evening, to get all the details from the police and the

:28:28.:28:32.

security services about what happened today, and to plan for the

:28:33.:28:36.

future. Police saying they are putting extra officers on the

:28:37.:28:40.

streets, not just around Westminster, but right around the

:28:41.:28:44.

capital. They are warning the public to be vigilant. In terms of

:28:45.:28:47.

Parliament, we gather MPs and peers will sit tomorrow as normal.

:28:48.:29:02.

The police response took moments and as the cordons close,

:29:03.:29:05.

those who watched these terrifying scenes unfold added to the accounts

:29:06.:29:07.

200 yards from Big Ben, overlooking Westminster Bridge,

:29:08.:29:13.

I arrived just after the incident, and I bumped into a group

:29:14.:29:19.

of extremely traumatised French teenagers who were here

:29:20.:29:21.

One of them described to me what had happened on the bridge,

:29:22.:29:28.

how he saw a car drive into what he thought were two

:29:29.:29:34.

Many of the people were too upset, trying to much

:29:35.:29:39.

I passed one person lying on the pavement covered in one

:29:40.:29:47.

of those metallic blankets you see after the marathon.

:29:48.:29:49.

And from inside Parliament itself, reporters heard the attacker's car

:29:50.:29:54.

hit the barriers outside, and saw what happened next.

:29:55.:29:57.

We heard a big bang outside at about 2:40pm and then

:29:58.:30:00.

And then 200 or so tourists or passers-by started running

:30:01.:30:08.

from Westminster Bridge across the pavement in front

:30:09.:30:09.

There was shooting outside Parliament and an ambulance landed.

:30:10.:30:24.

The police are marking the area out with cones.

:30:25.:30:30.

Emergency services converged in force to tend to the casualties.

:30:31.:30:35.

At this stage, no-one knew quite how many.

:30:36.:30:38.

Metres away, London life went on blissful ignorance.

:30:39.:30:43.

I then made my way into the tube station

:30:44.:30:48.

and I could see people walking around with their kids

:30:49.:30:50.

I went straight to the control room and said, you need to shut

:30:51.:30:55.

the tube station now, we have got a terror attack

:30:56.:30:58.

on the Palace of Westminster, you need to shut it now.

:30:59.:31:01.

He put a radio alert out to all staff and they put

:31:02.:31:04.

All the MPs were going to vote when the incident happened.

:31:05.:31:14.

It sounds like I was a little bit further ahead of her on the way to

:31:15.:31:19.

the old Palace when the gunshots rang out.

:31:20.:31:25.

It takes a moment to think that is not a car backfiring,

:31:26.:31:28.

Then there was lots of yelling, get down on the floor,

:31:29.:31:32.

get back into the building, which is what we all did.

:31:33.:31:34.

The numbers killed, the casualty list has grown.

:31:35.:31:40.

An attack aimed at the heart of British national life.

:31:41.:31:42.

The security services will study what happened here and seek to learn

:31:43.:31:45.

the lessons even as innocent victims are treated and the families

:31:46.:31:48.

We are hearing the lockdown of Parliament is over and the MPs who

:31:49.:32:04.

have been at Westminster Abbey, moved from Parliament to Westminster

:32:05.:32:08.

Abbey, now being put out of Westminster Abbey. Let's get the

:32:09.:32:11.

latest from our political correspondent. We've had about 1000

:32:12.:32:18.

people inside Westminster Abbey, not just MPs and peers, catering staff

:32:19.:32:22.

in their catering whites and other Parliamentary staff. They have been

:32:23.:32:24.

going through a triage system and have been interviewed by the police

:32:25.:32:27.

about what they saw, where they were and if they have any information

:32:28.:32:31.

that could be useful for the investigation. People were told that

:32:32.:32:35.

young people with children should go first, then the elderly and of

:32:36.:32:38.

course everyone else. We are just hearing that the first few MPs are

:32:39.:32:40.

starting to leave Westminster Abbey. At the same time, there have been

:32:41.:32:57.

some tweets from politicians who are saying that the lockdown in

:32:58.:32:59.

Westminster is now over. That should mean that those MPs who have been

:33:00.:33:02.

locked in the chamber this afternoon should be allowed to go. We have

:33:03.:33:05.

seen people leaving office blocks. Members who work around here have

:33:06.:33:07.

been stuck in their offices this afternoon. They could just watch the

:33:08.:33:09.

news and see what was happening. That is what we understand it

:33:10.:33:11.

happening. Thanks. Adam Fleming, love of our political correspondence

:33:12.:33:15.

is at the Abbey. What is going on? -- another one of our political

:33:16.:33:20.

correspondents. After several hours of manners of Parliament and members

:33:21.:33:23.

of the House of Lords and staff being locked in Westminster Abbey,

:33:24.:33:29.

giving witness statements to the police, people are starting to

:33:30.:33:32.

emerge after being in there for several hours. Dominic Grieve, the

:33:33.:33:35.

former Attorney General said the atmosphere was very pleasant. People

:33:36.:33:40.

were very calm. Gary Gardner, a member of the Shadow Cabinet for

:33:41.:33:43.

labour said that he was impressed with the police operation and the

:33:44.:33:47.

smoothness with which people were evacuated from Westminster. Lord

:33:48.:33:48.

Pearson? Would you want a quick word with us?

:33:49.:33:56.

No. MPs and peers just trying to get home. They have been in there for

:33:57.:34:00.

couple of hours. They have been slowly let out and in groups.

:34:01.:34:04.

Screened by the police before were allowed out. A whole cross-section

:34:05.:34:10.

of people. Here is Chris Bryant, the Labour MP. You are live on BBC news.

:34:11.:34:16.

Am I? What has it been like in the Abbey for the last couple of hours.

:34:17.:34:19.

It feels like a very long time. You have been in there since 5pm. We

:34:20.:34:23.

don't know very much news because nearly all of our... We don't have

:34:24.:34:28.

mobile phones working or anything. My biggest sadness I understand that

:34:29.:34:35.

there have been casualties. It is now concerned that there are four

:34:36.:34:38.

deaths, today. Right. I don't know what happened to the police officer

:34:39.:34:45.

concerned. We are just constantly aware that people sometimes put

:34:46.:34:50.

themselves in harms way to protect us and to protect our of life. The

:34:51.:34:54.

British way of life. I hope Parliament will be able to be up and

:34:55.:34:57.

running tomorrow because we need to be able to show that nothing stops

:34:58.:35:02.

British democracy. Nothing gets in the way of British democracy. You've

:35:03.:35:06.

obviously being in a media blackout because the Commons authorities

:35:07.:35:08.

tweeted that Parliament is normal tomorrow which I imagine you

:35:09.:35:13.

welcome? It absolutely should be. Obviously, my heart goes out to the

:35:14.:35:17.

people who have lost people and who will be worried. We've all been

:35:18.:35:21.

getting lots of text messages and tweets asking if we are all right,

:35:22.:35:26.

that kind of stuff. I want to pay tribute to the security services who

:35:27.:35:29.

have done an amazing job today. We have maybe been getting a bit grumpy

:35:30.:35:32.

because we are thinking, is this really necessary that we have no

:35:33.:35:37.

idea what's been going on outside. Have people been released from

:35:38.:35:41.

within the chamber yet? I'm not sure. I think you are the first

:35:42.:35:46.

people to be allowed out from the secure area. Do you feel safe for

:35:47.:35:49.

your own life as a member of Parliament after what has happened

:35:50.:35:54.

today? That's the least of my considerations although I have been

:35:55.:36:00.

saying for quite a long time that, you know, there are... Disturbing

:36:01.:36:04.

and disturbed people, whether politically disturbed or whatever.

:36:05.:36:07.

Disturbed people in the world, who want to do harm to our way of life.

:36:08.:36:12.

Sometimes to individuals as well. Less than a year ago the Jo Cox was

:36:13.:36:17.

murdered. We need to take necessary precautions to make sure that we

:36:18.:36:23.

protect that which we value. As a whole country what we value. And,

:36:24.:36:28.

also, just the idea that completely innocent civilians walking past who

:36:29.:36:31.

have absolutely nothing to do with political life might have lost their

:36:32.:36:36.

lives today. Very distressing. Chris Bryant, thank you. I'm freezing

:36:37.:36:39.

cold! It's freezing in Westminster Abbey! Thank you. Chris Bryant, the

:36:40.:36:44.

Labour MP reacting to events, telling us more about what it has

:36:45.:36:49.

been like for MPs and peers, spending several hours at

:36:50.:36:52.

Westminster Abbey. A bit of a communications blacked out, us

:36:53.:36:54.

breaking the news to them about what has happened today. -- blackout.

:36:55.:37:01.

Thank you. Adam Fleming with MPs, peers and staff who have been in

:37:02.:37:08.

Westminster Abbey for several hours. We have just had a tweak in from

:37:09.:37:11.

Kings College Hospital, which is treating a member of the injured

:37:12.:37:16.

from today's incident. They are saying two of their patients are in

:37:17.:37:21.

a critical condition. Six are in a stable condition. Ate together.

:37:22.:37:25.

Others at other hospitals. Kings College Hospital and two in a

:37:26.:37:33.

critical condition, six are stable. Let's talk to an eyewitness who, I

:37:34.:37:38.

think, saw what happened, just across the road from Parliament

:37:39.:37:44.

earlier on today. Tell us what you saw all heard, Cash Marley. I was

:37:45.:37:49.

just on the bridge, opposite Big Ben.

:37:50.:37:52.

I heard a commotion going on towards the bridge. I looked over and I saw

:37:53.:37:58.

a bunch of screening people running away. Men. I saw somebody, over the

:37:59.:38:04.

side of the bridge and land in the water. I didn't see them come back

:38:05.:38:08.

up. And a bit after that, that's when I heard from gunshots.

:38:09.:38:13.

Did you know this was a car hitting people on the bridge? No. At the

:38:14.:38:21.

time I didn't have a clue what was going on, I would have got out of

:38:22.:38:26.

there if I knew what was going on. You say you saw the person

:38:27.:38:30.

jumping... Falling from the bridge into the river? Yeah. Yeah, I see

:38:31.:38:36.

someone come over the side of the bridge. Slipping around and landed

:38:37.:38:39.

in the water. I didn't see them come back up. We gather that was a woman

:38:40.:38:48.

who was actually pulled, alive, from the water. She has serious injuries

:38:49.:38:52.

but she was pulled alive from the water. When all of this was going

:38:53.:38:55.

on, what was going through your mind? What were you thinking? I just

:38:56.:39:00.

thought, this is crazy! I didn't know what was going on. I thought I

:39:01.:39:06.

heard gunshots but I wasn't too sure. If I had heard a gun I would

:39:07.:39:10.

have been out of there. I wasn't going to try to stick around. Cash

:39:11.:39:17.

Marley, thank you very much indeed. Can I say something quickly as well

:39:18.:39:23.

please? Thank you. Let's just bring your reaction from the United States

:39:24.:39:27.

that's been coming in. We know that President Trump has been talking to

:39:28.:39:31.

the Prime Minister, Theresa May, that the attack. Sean Spicer, the

:39:32.:39:36.

White House press secretary has condemned the attack, let's have a

:39:37.:39:37.

listen. We obviously condemn today's

:39:38.:39:42.

attack on Westminster which the United Kingdom is treating

:39:43.:39:43.

as an act of terrorism. We applaud the quick response

:39:44.:39:46.

that the British police and the first responders made

:39:47.:39:48.

to the situation. The victims in this are in our

:39:49.:39:55.

thoughts and our prayers. The City of London and Her Majesty's

:39:56.:39:58.

government have the full support of the US government,

:39:59.:40:01.

responding to the attack and bringing those to justice

:40:02.:40:03.

who are responsible. Sean Spicer, the White House press

:40:04.:40:15.

secretary. Let's go to John Sobol. What has been the reaction from the

:40:16.:40:20.

White House? There was deep shock when they heard that London had come

:40:21.:40:22.

under attack but maybe not surprised. After all, there have

:40:23.:40:27.

been attacks in Paris, Belgium and other places as well. It was only

:40:28.:40:32.

natural we would get this response from the White House and Donald

:40:33.:40:36.

Trump hasn't spoken to Theresa May. What marks it out from previous

:40:37.:40:39.

attacks when Donald Trump wasn't in the White House is that there has

:40:40.:40:44.

been known to eating from him saying, "I told you so, this is why

:40:45.:40:49.

we need them measures to deal with radical Islamic terrorism as he

:40:50.:40:53.

chooses to put trade. -- there has been no tweeting. Nothing of that

:40:54.:40:58.

type. We would shoot to hear from Boris Johnson who was in Washington

:40:59.:41:03.

for talks with Rex Tillerson, his American counterpart. There is a big

:41:04.:41:08.

summit going on in the US in the fight against so-called Islamic

:41:09.:41:12.

state. It was in the context of that but we were due to hear from them

:41:13.:41:16.

but that has been called off. A lot of American reaction here is about

:41:17.:41:21.

the consular business, just checking that Americans, who may be in

:41:22.:41:24.

London, are safe and asking relatives to phone home. Thank you.

:41:25.:41:30.

We are joined at the police cordoned just down the road from the Palace

:41:31.:41:36.

of Westminster by the MPs Damian Collins, thank you for being with

:41:37.:41:41.

us. How has it affected you over the last few hours, where were you when

:41:42.:41:45.

it happened? I was with a group of probably 20 or 30 MPs walking

:41:46.:41:48.

through from portcullis house to vote in the House of, is when a

:41:49.:41:54.

division was called. The House of Commons. On the walkway I heard

:41:55.:41:59.

shouts from the yard and then gunshots. The police were instantly

:42:00.:42:02.

in control of the situation and we were told to get down onto the

:42:03.:42:05.

floor. We were there for a short period of time and moved back into

:42:06.:42:11.

portcullis house. We didn't see anything that had happened. And then

:42:12.:42:17.

portcullis house was evacuated. Half an hour afterwards. There was an

:42:18.:42:22.

effective lockdown. The police were on top of the situation very

:42:23.:42:26.

quickly. You have it in lockdown for the last few hours and let go, as it

:42:27.:42:31.

were? Yes. We were just told we could go, now. They have started the

:42:32.:42:36.

process of evacuating the building. Lots of MPs and and lots of visitors

:42:37.:42:42.

with meetings for MPs and visitors. Everyone was held together and

:42:43.:42:45.

waiting for instructions from the police. What are your thoughts

:42:46.:42:49.

tonight, an attack on the heart of British democracy. It's a terrible

:42:50.:42:54.

incident. Our first thoughts are with the victims and their families.

:42:55.:42:58.

A police officer killed in the line of duty, protecting Parliament and

:42:59.:43:03.

the public. That time of day on Westminster Bridge, not a tourist

:43:04.:43:06.

and international visitors, people going about their business and what

:43:07.:43:09.

has happened today is a terrible tragedy -- a lot of tourists. Cobra

:43:10.:43:13.

meeting tonight, the government emergency committee. What should be

:43:14.:43:17.

the response of government? We obviously need to understand fully

:43:18.:43:21.

what happened today, why it happened. Who was involved in it.

:43:22.:43:24.

The security services do an excellent job and the way they

:43:25.:43:28.

responded to the terrible events of today show that it is too early to

:43:29.:43:33.

say. We gather one of your apology colleagues, Tobias Ellwood, was

:43:34.:43:35.

actually involved in trying to save the life of the police officer who

:43:36.:43:42.

died. We have been trying to follow as best we could the coverage of

:43:43.:43:45.

what has happened today and piece together what happened. I have seen

:43:46.:43:49.

pictures of Tobias and he was a former serving officer and is a

:43:50.:43:53.

brave man. He clearly used his skills to try to help the others as

:43:54.:43:56.

best he could. What should be the response in Parliament? We gather it

:43:57.:43:59.

is sitting tomorrow. MPs and peers will sit tomorrow as normal. Is that

:44:00.:44:04.

the right response? I think so. Including that the government want

:44:05.:44:07.

to make a statement about what has happened today. What they know. What

:44:08.:44:09.

the response will be. This is a terrible day. At the

:44:10.:44:17.

business of Parliament must continue. Damian Collins, thank you

:44:18.:44:23.

for talking to us. -- but the business. Damian Collins MP just

:44:24.:44:25.

allowed out of the lockdown that there has been for the last few

:44:26.:44:28.

hours around Westminster. We can now talk to Margaret Gilmore. Thank you

:44:29.:44:37.

very much for being with us. What do you think are the security

:44:38.:44:43.

applications of this attack, today? It came as absolutely no surprise.

:44:44.:44:47.

There will be a working assumption amongst the security agencies that

:44:48.:44:53.

this was a terrorist attack. They responded in a well practised way.

:44:54.:44:57.

Further down the line, not in the next week or so, but further down

:44:58.:45:05.

the line there will be a review. There is probably not a building

:45:06.:45:07.

that is more secure than the Palace of Westminster. The streets around

:45:08.:45:13.

Westminster, pedestrians are kept away from vehicles by bollards

:45:14.:45:20.

everywhere apart from Westminster Bridge. There will be security

:45:21.:45:24.

issues, reviews of security that the security response as things unfolded

:45:25.:45:30.

was well practised. And carried out very well.

:45:31.:45:35.

And what appears to have been an attack on civilians on the bridge,

:45:36.:45:40.

using a vehicle, that has become... We saw it in Nice and Germany, that

:45:41.:45:49.

has become a new method of attack. That car couldn't have got much

:45:50.:45:53.

further attacking like that, it crashed into the walls, the fences

:45:54.:45:56.

and fencing around the actual building. They are a long way from

:45:57.:46:00.

the building. Had there been a bomb, as was feared, it would not have

:46:01.:46:04.

affected the building, probably. But they found a weak link, heading that

:46:05.:46:10.

way. Absolutely. It has all the signs of the type of things that

:46:11.:46:14.

Isis in particular... We don't know, for sure, have been promoting.

:46:15.:46:18.

Whether this person was inspired by ices, but they are a supporter,

:46:19.:46:25.

whether they just went online or had other contacts, this is issues that

:46:26.:46:29.

the police, now in charge of the criminal investigation, will really

:46:30.:46:32.

be pursuing very, very carefully tonight. -- inspired by ices.

:46:33.:46:35.

Of course, we are told so many times that MI5 and the security services

:46:36.:46:44.

and counterterrorism police have intercepted a number of plots in the

:46:45.:46:48.

last few years. 13 was the figure given. They have always said they

:46:49.:46:54.

can't stop them all. 13 in the last three years. We are on the

:46:55.:46:59.

second-highest security alert, meaning an attack is highly likely.

:47:00.:47:03.

They can't follow everybody. Is quite likely that we will find out

:47:04.:47:06.

that this guy somewhere along the line has been in touch with the

:47:07.:47:09.

authorities in some way, whether it is petty crime, until health

:47:10.:47:12.

problems, maybe he was on the radar but on a B list, as what happened

:47:13.:47:18.

with the 7/7 bombers three years ago. But the vast majority of plots,

:47:19.:47:22.

we need to know this, are being stopped. At one will always get

:47:23.:47:26.

through and this is one. There will be very few. Sad for the victims

:47:27.:47:32.

tonight. They are doing a good job but cannot stop everything. We have

:47:33.:47:35.

been warned about it. This happening is not a surprise. Margaret Gilmore,

:47:36.:47:42.

thank you. From the Royal United services Institute. Let's hear from

:47:43.:47:47.

one of the eyewitnesses. Kevin Schofield, a political journalist

:47:48.:47:49.

who saw what happened from his office window in Westminster.

:47:50.:47:56.

First of all we heard a loud bang, similar to a car crash.

:47:57.:47:59.

And we looked out, across Westminster Bridge

:48:00.:48:01.

from our offices and there was a bit of a commotion, people running

:48:02.:48:04.

around, shouting trying to work out what had happened.

:48:05.:48:06.

We thought there might have been a bus crash,

:48:07.:48:08.

there a lot of buses going up and down the road,

:48:09.:48:11.

and the next thing I looked down at Carriage Gates

:48:12.:48:13.

on the outer perimeter of the parliamentary estate.

:48:14.:48:15.

These gates are secure all day, there's armed policemen,

:48:16.:48:18.

you're only able to get in with a pass.

:48:19.:48:23.

I saw a man basically who rushed through the gates,

:48:24.:48:26.

stormed the gates, attacked a policeman, the

:48:27.:48:27.

Another policemen went to approach him, the man then got up,

:48:28.:48:31.

with his arm outstretched straight, looking like he had a knife

:48:32.:48:34.

in his hand I think it was, holding it out, holding it

:48:35.:48:37.

And then where they walked, I couldn't quite see,

:48:38.:48:41.

I couldn't get a great vantage point, and then there

:48:42.:48:44.

was lots of gunfire and that's obviously when we knew something

:48:45.:48:47.

serious was under way and lots of armed police

:48:48.:48:50.

I can see a car that's crashed into one of the gates on the side

:48:51.:48:57.

of Westminster Bridge, that seems to be what the bang

:48:58.:49:00.

was and I can see the car is still there right now,

:49:01.:49:03.

That was Kevin Schofield, a political journalist who saw what

:49:04.:49:18.

happened. Let's hear from another eyewitness, who was speaking to our

:49:19.:49:22.

home affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford little earlier. I was

:49:23.:49:28.

coming out of the tube at Westminster at 245. It was clear

:49:29.:49:30.

something happened. I was ushered onto Westminster

:49:31.:49:31.

Bridge, but then I looked across to the West pavement

:49:32.:49:33.

and there were bodies, people lying So I then moved up into the middle

:49:34.:49:37.

of the bridge, looked further down the south side of the bridge

:49:38.:49:44.

and it was clear there were also bodies, people lying on the floor

:49:45.:49:47.

on the western pavement. When I spoke to someone who had

:49:48.:49:50.

clearly been on the bridge at the time of the incident

:49:51.:49:53.

they said that a car had mounted the pavement, or a vehicle,

:49:54.:49:56.

and literally driven the whole way from south to north, up the bridge,

:49:57.:49:58.

knocking people over. I counted eight people

:49:59.:50:02.

the length of the bridge from south to north,

:50:03.:50:04.

at least eight. One was clearly in a sort of shocked

:50:05.:50:08.

moment, so you are not quite sure what is going on,

:50:09.:50:12.

but as I looked up and down As I was standing there,

:50:13.:50:15.

an ambulance came over, landed in Parliament Square and out

:50:16.:50:20.

came an incredible number of security personnel,

:50:21.:50:28.

both obviously from the Ambulance Service, paramedics, but also

:50:29.:50:30.

suddenly plain clothes people, people with masks on,

:50:31.:50:32.

people with machine guns. The quantity of armed

:50:33.:50:38.

personnel arriving was very Then as I looked, there

:50:39.:50:40.

were vehicles arriving from the embankment,

:50:41.:50:48.

both police vehicles, vehicles with lights on and then

:50:49.:50:49.

a grey van with a number In a sense, reassuring to know

:50:50.:50:52.

that there were so many armed security personnel looking

:50:53.:51:00.

after our safety so quickly after what was clearly

:51:01.:51:02.

a pretty dramatic event. want to show you what is happening

:51:03.:51:11.

behind us and the police called in. Quite a number of people

:51:12.:51:21.

are leaving. They have been involved in this lockdown in Westminster ever

:51:22.:51:25.

since the incident happened early on this afternoon. They have been stuck

:51:26.:51:33.

inside for several hours. Only now allowed to leave. That includes MPs,

:51:34.:51:37.

peers, clerical staff, canteen staff, all sorts of people. About

:51:38.:51:43.

1000 people were kept in Westminster before the security and in the

:51:44.:51:47.

Palace of Westminster. Only now allowed to go home.

:51:48.:51:49.

Let's talk to Peter Power a former counter terrorism officer

:51:50.:51:51.

with Scotland Yard who now consults on crisis management for situation

:51:52.:51:54.

Thank you for being with us. What are your thoughts on what's happened

:51:55.:52:05.

today? We shouldn't really be surprised. Some moments ago Margaret

:52:06.:52:08.

Gilmore was talking about the first level, which equates to "An attack

:52:09.:52:13.

is highly likely". We have been at that level for a month. There is a

:52:14.:52:17.

threat fatigue because nothing has happened for so long. Secondly, a

:52:18.:52:20.

few weeks ago, the government published a new app for everybody

:52:21.:52:28.

with a mobile phone called Citizen Aid and this tells you what to do if

:52:29.:52:33.

you are caught up in what police called a marauding terrorist attack.

:52:34.:52:35.

But how many people know that? We saw last weekend the police had a

:52:36.:52:42.

major counterterrorist exercise on the River Thames. Perhaps more

:52:43.:52:49.

importantly, 168... 68 countries are meeting in Washington to discuss how

:52:50.:52:53.

to defeat Islamic state. Take these things together and we really

:52:54.:52:59.

shouldn't be surprised. When Mark Rowley, the senior police officer

:53:00.:53:03.

stood outside of Scotland Yard and said "This is a day we have prepared

:53:04.:53:06.

for" he is absolutely right. Stay with us. I want to show viewers

:53:07.:53:15.

what is happening behind us. Lots of people who have been caught up in

:53:16.:53:20.

the security lockdown at Westminster, who are now finally

:53:21.:53:24.

being allowed to go home... By the police, after a long stint, where

:53:25.:53:32.

they have been held... And not allowed to leave.

:53:33.:53:36.

They are now able to go home. Let's go back to Peter, former

:53:37.:53:43.

counterterrorism officer. We have heard, quite often, that a number of

:53:44.:53:48.

plots in the last three years, I think 13, have been foiled,

:53:49.:53:53.

intercepted, by the police and MI5. But, obviously, they can't stop them

:53:54.:53:57.

all. No, they can't. Let's remember, the radar screen applied by MI6 and

:53:58.:54:03.

MI5 and the police and so on is countries of two things. We don't

:54:04.:54:07.

live in a police state, we cannot stop people without suspicion -- is

:54:08.:54:12.

conscious of two things. What is happening now, terrorists are

:54:13.:54:15.

resorting to using things you might find in your kitchen or garage, they

:54:16.:54:20.

are not using explosives. It is quite easy for terrorists to get

:54:21.:54:23.

very close with nothing more than a knife or simply driving a car.

:54:24.:54:30.

Suddenly, they become weapons. Things have changed. Essentially, we

:54:31.:54:34.

go through three stages of mayhem, mastermind and manhunt. Mayhem, the

:54:35.:54:38.

sheer terror and confusion. Mastermind, who can we find to tell

:54:39.:54:43.

us what is going on? Manhunt, who can we blame? As we talk this

:54:44.:54:46.

evening, we not entirely sure that the finger were generally be

:54:47.:54:49.

pointing towards people who would like to be associated with so-called

:54:50.:54:54.

Islamic State. On this very day, though 68 countries are meeting in

:54:55.:54:57.

Washington to discuss how to defeat Islamic State.

:54:58.:55:03.

Peter, thank you for talking to us, a former counterterrorism officer

:55:04.:55:07.

with Scotland Yard. Still, people now emerging from this

:55:08.:55:14.

lockdown at Westminster. Just over my left shoulder, you can see

:55:15.:55:19.

hundreds of people in the last few minutes, they have been finally able

:55:20.:55:23.

to leave, allowed to leave by the police after being held in the

:55:24.:55:29.

Westminster area. About 1000 of them in Westminster Abbey. Including MPs,

:55:30.:55:36.

peers and office staff. Others held in their offices where they work in

:55:37.:55:41.

Westminster. That is the latest from here. The Metropolitan Police now

:55:42.:55:46.

saying that four people have died, including the assailant. Also, the

:55:47.:55:50.

police officer who was stabbed. A woman and another casualty on

:55:51.:55:55.

Westminster Bridge. In total, 20 people have been injured. They are

:55:56.:55:59.

being treated at a number of hospitals. Some are critically ill

:56:00.:56:04.

this evening. That is the latest from Westminster. You are watching

:56:05.:56:05.

BBC news. We will have much more coverage live

:56:06.:56:16.

from Westminster that the

:56:17.:56:17.

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