In a less-than-slick escape from Parliament when her staff appeared rattled as a lone assailant rampaged just yards away, Prime Minister Theresa May dashed around a car park and looked lost as she searched for her ride before escaping.

In footage published by The Sun newspaper, the PM is seen walking towards her car with five members of her detail around her before picking up the pace and darting left and right in a moment of uncertainty.

Once at the silver Jaguar, May waits a few seconds for the door to be opened, although it is unclear if staff were still trying to unlock the vehicle. A man is seen running towards them a few seconds later holding a device in his hands.

The car pulls out of its parking spot, approaches a black Range Rover and moves backwards, nearly completing a three-point turn before a member of May's security team, his gun drawn, runs towards the vehicle, opens the door and the video ends.

MPs had gathered in Parliament for Prime Minster's Questions when shortly afterwards the attacker mowed down pedestrians on the bridge approaching the building before crashing his car and attacking a police officer, killing a total of four people.

In pictures: Westminster attack Show all 9 1 /9 In pictures: Westminster attack In pictures: Westminster attack An air ambulance lands after gunfire sounds were heard close to the Palace of Westminster in London PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack MPs wait until the situation is under control in Westminster. 'The alleged assailant was shot by armed police,' David Lidington, leader of the House of Commons, told the house. BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Crowds gather in Westminster after shooting incident, which police are treating as terror attack BBC News In pictures: Westminster attack Police were also called to an incident on Westminster Bridge nearby AP In pictures: Westminster attack Early reports indicate the car, which mounted the pavement on Westminster Bridge and mowed into around a dozen people, was the same vehicle which then rammed into the railings of the Palace of Westminster, just around the corner Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack Security sources described the suspected assailant as a middle-aged Asian man, who is understood to have left the car before attacking a police officer with a seven-to-eight inch knife PA wire In pictures: Westminster attack Police have asked people to avoid the immediate area to allow emergency services to deal with the ongoing incident AP In pictures: Westminster attack One woman has died and a number of others, including the police officer, have been hurt, according to a junior doctor at St Thomas' Hospital Reuters In pictures: Westminster attack At least three gun shots were heard by those inside Westminster, and proceedings in the House of Commons have been suspended AP

Some commentators have questioned how the assailant, whose birth name was Adrian Russell Ajao, was able to get so close to parliament. The Sun newspaper cited sources saying only three unlocked doors separated Ajao from May.