Five dead in London terror attack outside parliament

Five people were killed and 40 injured in a lightning attack at the gates of British democracy attributed by police to "Islamist-related terrorism".

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Five killed in attack on symbol of British democracy

London, March 23, AFP – Four people were killed and 40 injured after being run over and stabbed in a lightning attack at the gates of British democracy attributed by police to "Islamist-related terrorism". The attacker was also killed.

The attack unfolded on Wednesday across Westminster Bridge in the shadow of Big Ben, a towering landmark that draws tourists by the millions and stands over Britain's Houses of Parliament – the very image of London.

The attacker's car struck pedestrians on the bridge before crashing into the railings surrounding the heavily-guarded Houses of Parliament, sowing first shock then panic in the seat of British power.

People leave after being evacuated from the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017 during an emergency incident. / AFP PHOTO / DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS

The assailant then ran through the gates brandishing a knife and stabbed a 48-year-old policeman to death before being shot dead by another officer.

Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as "sick and depraved" in a defiant address in which she affirmed parliament would meet as normal on Thursday.

Standing outside her Downing Street residence after an emergency cabinet meeting, May said Britain's alert level would be kept unchanged.

"We will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart," said May, who was dressed in black.

The prime minister was in parliament at the time of the attack and was seen being ushered away in a silver car as what sounded like gunfire rang out, British media reported.

A video grab from footage broadcast by the UK Parliament's Parliamentary Recording Unit (PRU) shows the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle (C) as he suspends the chamber in London on March 22, 2017. Britain's Houses of Parliament were in lockdown on Wednesday after staff said they heard shots fired, triggering a security alert. AFP PHOTO / PRU

Britain's top counter-terrorism officer Mark Rowley said the four victims included a policeman guarding parliament and three members of the public.

"Islamist-related terrorism is our assumption," Rowley told journalists.

He said investigators believe they know the identity of the assailant and police would be examining the scene of the attack through the night.

Queen Elizabeth II postponed her appearance on Thursday to open the new headquarters of London's Metropolitan Police, where the force's flag was flown at half-mast following the incident.

The attack came a year to the day after Islamic State jihadists killed 32 people in twin bomb attacks in Brussels and after a series of deadly assaults in Europe that had hitherto spared Britain.

Parliament was locked down for several hours and hundreds of lawmakers and visitors were later evacuated to nearby Westminster Abbey and the Metropolitan Police headquarters.

An air ambulance flew in and police cordoned off a large area, while tourists on the London Eye, a popular visitor attraction, were stuck up to 135 metres in the air for more than an hour during the incident.

People are seen inside the pods of the London Eye opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London on March 22, 2017 as emergency services deal with the aftermath of a terror incident at Parliament. / AFP PHOTO / Niklas HALLE'N

"I saw three bodies lying on the ground and a whole lot of police. It was pretty terrifying," said Jack Hutchinson, 16, from the United States, who was stranded on the observation wheel with his parents.

Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood, whose brother Jonathan was killed in the 2002 Bali bombing, was pictured with his face smeared with blood helping to give first aid to the fatally wounded police officer.

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