Four people, including a police officer have been confirmed dead following a terrorist attack in Westminster in London.
The incident unfolded shortly before three o'clock this afternoon, when a car mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and drove into pedestrians.
The car then drove to the Houses of Parliament where a man entered the compound, stabbing at least one police officer.
He was then shot by police and has since died.
Head of Counterterrorism and Assistant Commissioner of the Met Police is Mark Rowley;
Live update re incident in #Westminster https://t.co/gd10vkudHG
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 22, 2017
Witnesses say a car crashed into pedestrians, then a man stabbed a police officer, before being shot.
A number of people have suffered what's being described as "catastrophic" injuries following the incident earlier this afternoon.
The whole area is on shutdown, and Scotland Yard says it's treating it as a "terrorist incident".
Commander BJ Harrington, senior officer at Scotland Yard has been briefing the media on the incident in the past few moments;
My statement on the incident near Parliament Square this afternoon. Please visit https://t.co/NzFxlDdZ9N for the latest information. pic.twitter.com/T4s43cGzub
— Mayor of London (@MayorofLondon) March 22, 2017
The British House of Commons in Westminster has been suspended after gunfire was heard outside the building.
Witnesses said a loud explosion was heard, followed by the sound of gunfire.
Meanwhile a Reuters photographer said they had seen at least a dozen people injured on Westminster Bridge just outside the building.
Another witness said they had seen those people being hit by a car.
There are also reports of a man being seen in the area waving a knife.
Scotland Yard has confirmed an ongoing incident, and the parliament building is in lockdown with MPs being asked to stay in the chamber.
We were called at approx 2:40pm to reports of an incident at #Westminster Bridge. Being treated as a firearms incident - police on scene
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) March 22, 2017
The London Underground Stations in the vicinity have also been shutdown.
Mark White from Sky read a statement from Scotland Yard:
Sky's Robert Nisbet is at the scene that police have cordoned off;
It's now been confirmed that a police officer's been stabbed and one person, possibly the alleged assailant has been shot outside the Houses of Parliament.
Several others are thought to have been injured after they were hit by a car on nearby Westminster Bridge.
