'VERY SINISTER'
Westminster ‘terror attack’ witnesses describe terrifying Parliament crash moment as car ‘accelerated after hitting cyclists’ before one CHASED the motor on foot
WITNESSES have told of the terrifying moment a car "accelerated" after hitting cyclists outside Westminster this morning, before a brave biker got up to chase the car on foot.
Barry Williams told the Victoria Derbyshire show he saw cyclists knocked to the ground as a silver vehicle careered into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.
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The BBC worker said: "I saw a silver car heading towards cyclists on the wrong side of the road. They were parked waiting for the lights to change.
“He hit them then swerved over towards the safety barrier. And then accelerated and hit it at quite high speed
“It hit with quite a thud. The car actually came off the ground and landed again.
“He hit about five cyclists. One actually got up and began to chase the car.
This is what we know so far...
- A car crashed into anti-terror barriers outside the Houses of Parliament at 7.40am
- Three people were hurt - but cops say none have life-threatening injuries
- Witnesses saw a silver car "deliberately" travelling towards Westminster at 50mph
- It has been confirmed as being taken on by the Met's Counter Terror team
- A man in his 20s was handcuffed at the scene, led away by armed cops and arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences
- Extra cops will be deployed at key travel hubs throughout the UK today
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“It was frightening. The police were very fast - they vaulted over the barrier followed by armed police.”
The driver, in his 20s, was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences and led away in handcuffs before cops confirmed the Met's Counter-Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation.
Witnesses told of horror scenes as the car driving "up to 50mph" crashed outside Parliament just after 7.30am.
Eyewitness Jason Williams said: "Someone driving towards Parliament at speed, it wasn't a minor accident, it wasn't a road traffic incident.
"It was, in my opinion, something planned and something very sinister."
Another witness Ewalina Ochab added: "I think it looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers.
"I was walking on the other side (of the road). I heard some noise and someone screamed."
Cyclist treated by emergency services after car drives into Houses of Parliament security banner
A chilling video showed cyclists sprawled injured in the street moments after the car smashed into barriers.
One woman suffered serious, but non-life threatening, injuries while two other men also needed medical treatment.
Met Police confirmed the suspect - who is not believed to have been armed - is currently being quizzed on suspicion of terror offences at a South London police station.
But cops said he is "not cooperating".
Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said in a police press conference that officers were now working to establish the motive behind the attack.
He said: "It appears to be a deliberate act. We are treating it as a terrorist incident.
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Video shows car crash scene outside House of Parliament minutes before police arrived
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A COBRA meeting is due to take place at 2pm to discuss this morning's suspected terrorist incident.
Dramatic footage after the crash shows heavily-armed police pointing rifles inside a silver car after it crashed into black barriers.
A London Ambulance spokesman said two people were taken to hospital and one was treated at the scene - with none thought to have life-threatening injuries.
Mr Williams later told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the incident was "very, very scary".
He said: "I’ve seen a man driving a vehicle, and he's gone into one of the bollards. There was a loud bang.
"Straight away I thought 'Oh no, this is another terrorist attack'. So I’ve just started to run and the police were saying 'get out, get out of the area'."
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Armed police swoop after car crashes into barriers outside Houses of Parliament
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The incident comes just over a year after terrorist Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians and rammed the gates of Parliament in a terror attack.
The jihadi killed five people including Westminster cop PC Keith Palmer before he was shot dead by armed police.
Streets around Parliament Square, Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens have been cordoned off with dozens of police, ambulances and firefighters at the scene.
While Westminster Bridge has been closed to cars and pedestrians and nearby Lambeth Bridge is also to be shut imminently.
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