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Sadiq Khan has condemned "hideous" terrorism after today's incident on the Tube, adding: "We will never be defeated."

The London mayor spoke after a suspected "improvised explosive device" injured 22 people on a packed rush hour train in Parsons Green, west London.

Social media images showed what appeared to be a flaming bucket in a Lidl bag with wires attached.

Victims suffered "flash burns" and singed hair after witnesses described a sheet of fire on the train, which was on an above-ground portion of the London Underground.

Police evacuated the area as they confirmed they are treating the incident as terrorism.

Theresa May was returning to Downing Street this morning from her Maidenhead constituency to lead a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee at around 1pm.

The Prime Minister said in a statement: "My thoughts are either those injured at Parsons Green and the emergency services who, once again, are responding swiftly and bravely to a suspected terrorist incident."

(Image: Twitter) (Image: REUTERS)

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "Thoughts with those injured in Parsons Green terrorist incident, and thanks to police, ambulance staff and firefighters who are responding."

Mr Khan "utterly condemned" what he called "hideous" terrorists who want to "harm us and destroy our way of life."

He wrote on Facebook: "Our city utterly condemns the hideous individuals who attempt to use terror to harm us and destroy our way of life.

"As London has proven again and again, we will never be intimidated or defeated by terrorism.

"My sincere gratitude goes to all our courageous emergency responders and the TfL staff who were first on the scene.

"I urge all Londoners to remain calm and vigilant".

(Image: Sky News)

(Image: PA)

Mr Corbyn will not be attending today's Cobra meeting but is likely to receive a separate briefing with confidential information on the incident.

Local MP Greg Hands warned the station would have been “heaving” in the morning rush hour and he is “extremely concerned”.

Mr Hands, who is away in Bucharest, Romania, for a visit in his role as an international trade minister, told Sky News: "It’s one of the busiest lines. The District Line at that time would have been pretty much heaving, the platform as well.

"I’m extremely concerned and learning that it is a terrorist incident, I’m just very sad this has happened in Fulham today.”

The Tory MP warned that if the "perpetrator is still at large… capturing the perpetrator and attending to those injured must be the priority.”

Former London mayor and now Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson urged people to "keep calm and go about their lives... as normally as they possibly can."

(Image: REUTERS)

It's understood police in Parliament, which beefed up security after March's terror attack, were told to be "vigilant".

Large numbers of police vehicles rushed past Westminster towards west London including marked vans packed with officers, unmarked cars, unmarked vans and dark blue vans that appeared to be part of the counter-terror response.