A man wielding an ‘eight inch’ knife has been shot outside Parliament after charging the gates and stabbing a police officer – with cops declaring a ‘terror attack’ in the capital.

Up to a dozen innocent pedestrians were mowed down on Westminster Bridge by grey 4×4 which then crashed into the gates outside Parliament.

Dramatic pictures show bodies littering Westminster bridge and the vicinity outside Parliament.

Two people have been seen lying within Old Palace Yard, immediately outside Westminster Hall.

Earlier reports suggested sounds of an explosion were heard but this has not been confirmed.

Commons Leader David Lidington told MPs: “What I am able to say to the House is there has been a serious incident within the estate.

“It seems that a police officer has been stabbed, that the alleged assailant was shot by armed police.

“An air ambulance is currently attending the scene to remove the casualties.

“There are also reports of further violent incidents in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster but I hope colleagues on all sides will appreciate that it’d be wrong of me to go into further details until we have confirmation from the police and from the House security authorities about what is going on.”

The Prime Minister was seen in the voting lobby at the time of the attack – she was bundled into a car and rushed from the scene with official sources saying she is unharmed.

Eyewitness Rick Longley said: “We were just walking up to the station and there was a loud bang and a guy, someone, crashed a car and took some pedestrians out.

“They were just laying there and then the whole crowd just surged around the corner by the gates just opposite Big Ben.
“A guy came past my right shoulder with a big knife and just started plunging it into the policeman.

 














 

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