Reports from inside Wesminster, on lockdown after gunfire outside

UPDATED 18:10.

18:09 Scotland Yard have confirmed that the suspect is among the four dead.

18:03: Four confirmed dead and at least 20 injured.

17:16: A source told The Tab there are “26 people in A&E and seven in need of ICU beds”.

16:38: Two now pronounced dead, several injured.

Just after 2:30pm today, a car came off the road and struck a number of people on Westminster Bridge. At approximately 2:40pm, reports broke of gunfire outside UK parliament.

A “middle-aged asian man”, according to the BBC, the pulled a “seven or eight inch knife”. Four loud bangs followed.

At least a dozen people are injured and one dead after a ‘Hyundai l10 Premium’ silver car came off the road, knocking down several pedestrians.

The London Eye and Big Ben have both been halted.

Casualties are being treated at St James’ Hospital, across the road from Parliament buildings.

A student on work experience in parliament told The Tab: “I’m in my office but I have no idea what is actually happening fully it’s all unclear. The whole place is on lockdown and we’ve been told to stay away from windows. God knows how long this will go on for, no one knows what’s going on.”

An MP’s assistant, from inside the building, added: “Everyone has been told to get into and stay in their offices. It’s still quite serious – we’ll have more info once the security have the situation under control.”

Ed Bannister said: “I came outside a smidgeon too late, but reports of shots fired outside parliament. Seems to be in the courtyard outside – counter terrorism police were moved in but without any particular urgency so I don’t think the threat is active.

“That said, they’re still pushing people back so I’m not sure – and there’s still lots of police cars rushing down the road. They’ve pushed everyone back to in line with King Charles street.”

He is in a group of around 50 people, mostly journalists, being moved away from the scene, “most tourists have gone”.

An eyewitness from inside Parliament told The Tab: “We saw it first on Sky News, that an SUV had crashed and severely injured people. We went into another office, to look out of the window on the East side of the building looking out over Palace Yard.

“They either went in through the main gate or the side.

“Ambulances has arrived and paramedics were giving CPR to at least one person.

“We are normally in Portcullis house but have been moved down the road to more discreet buildings.

“Security was going around, they moved us down the stairs and out of the House.

“We’re now quite far away, waiting to hear of any developments. Looking out of the window, we can see armed police in military clothing, body armour and helmets.”

Jack Collins describes the scene as “deathly quiet”.

A junior member of staff for an MP told The Tab: “Unfortunately I don’t have lots of detail. I missed the attackers by 30 seconds, thankfully. Since then we’ve been in lockdown. MPs I believe are in the chamber as the house has been adjourned for the day. Everyone is waiting to be escorted from the premise. The police are doing a brilliant job keeping us all safe and risking their lives.”

The Met Police released a statement saying: “We are treating this as a terrorist incident until we know otherwise”.

A Parliamentary researcher told The Tab: “We were working over our lunch hour and then me and my colleague went over to Portcullis House. I’d literally just put my food down when we realised something wasn’t right.

“We were 10 metres away from the glass, the security guards looked really shady.

“I said to my friend ‘I think it’s a bomb’.

“The Division bell went off and we saw MPs walking toward the chamber.

“Someone started screaming ‘shots, shots’.

“I lost my colleague. At that moment I thought I was running for my life. I was shouting for my colleague, called him. We ran up the stairs.

“150 people were in the lobby of Portcullis. The Policeman who works on the gate screamed at us to evacuate. We were all running up the stairs, there were people all around me, we were all running as if for our lives.

“We barricaded the door with the sofa, at this point there were so many rumours. One person said one of Theresa May’s motorcycle support men.

“We heard there were shots from inside parliament.

“I called my family and told them I was okay.

“We were told by the police that vehicle contained something suspect.

“We were moved over the link bridges to Normanshaw North. Everywhere was completely quiet. No one’s working.”

Jack Collins was live on the scene:

More as we get it.

Photos provided by Ed Bannister.