
Police have raided addresses in Nottingham and Birmingham over the Westminster terror attack after it emerged the suspect who ploughed into 15 cyclists and pedestrians today was known to officers but not MI5, MailOnline can reveal.

The suspect is believed to have lived above an internet café in Sparkhill, Birmingham, reports Sky News. Police have been searching the flat for several hours today.

Officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command are searching another address in Birmingham, where the suspect is said to be known to police, and a flat in the Radford area of Nottingham over the attack, but have not arrested anyone else.

Security Minister Ben Wallace described the 29-year-old suspect as 'a British citizen who came from another country originally' on BBC News this evening.

Roger Godsiff, the Labour MP for Birmingham Hall Green, tweeted earlier this evening to say that the suspect was believed to live in his constituency.

The Metropolitan Police have said the Fiesta the suspect used in the attack travelled from Birmingham to London late last night before arriving just after midnight.

The car was seen in the Tottenham Court Road area between 1.25am and 5.55am before being driven around the Westminster and Whitehall area from 6am. It stayed in the area until the attack at 7.30am.

Horrifying CCTV footage from earlier today captured the moment the driver sped through crowds at up to 50mph before ploughing into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.

Forensic officers by the Ford Fiesta that crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament today in the first terror attack in Britain this year

The car was stopped in its tracks by a new security barrier designed to stop a lorryborne attack used in Nice or Berlin

Cyclists abandoned their bikes after the collision with one being treated for injuries in the middle of the road as terror came to London's streets again

Armed officers swamp a crumpled silver car after a rush hour crash at Westminster today that left two pedestrians needing hospital treatment

The man in the left of the picture was arrested at the scene where two people were injured at just after 7.30am yesterday and he is refusing to speak to detectives. Security sources say he is from the West Midlands

CCTV footage of the car unearthed by the BBC shows the car on the wrong side of the road then swerve left, hitting cyclists and pedestrians before hitting a barrier

Forensic officers were still at the scene where the Ford Fiesta crashed near the Houses of Parliament

Other officers were seen loading abandoned bicycles into vans after the crash that involved 15 cyclists and pedestrians

Counter Terrorism officers, supported by Nottinghamshire Police, undertook a search at a flat on Peveril Street in the Radford area of Nottingham

Police officers searched the flat on Peveril Street in connection with the terror attack at Westminster earlier today

This is the location of the barrier crash - just around the corner from where Khalid Masood killed six people in March 2017

The man looked dazed as he was dragged from the smoking silver Ford Fiesta by around a dozen armed officers who had their rifles trained on him.

Three people were injured and one female cyclist is being treated for serious but not life-threatening injuries in hospital, which MailOnline understands is a broken hip.

Neighbours of the house searched in Nottingham have said the flat is home to six Sudanese people, and a security source told HuffPost that the suspect is a British citizen of a Sudanese origin.

There has been no suggestion that the suspect lived in the address searched in Nottingham, nor has it been established what its connection to the crime was.

Although Scotland Yard have been treating the incident as a terrorist attack, Home Secretary Sajid Javid has said 'we must keep an open mind'.

Speaking at the Home Office, Mr Javid said: 'The briefing I have received from counter-terrorism police and the security services is that work is ongoing and they are doing everything they can to find out more about the incident.

'We must keep an open mind about what has happened and I'm sure when they do have more information they will say more.'

A 'loud bang' followed by screams echoed around Parliament Square at 7.30am this morning and footage uncovered by the BBC shows the car swerve the wrong way down the road and 'intentionally' veer through crowds before smashing into a security barrier.

Two uniformed police officers manning the checkpoint designed to withstand a high speed lorry attack are shown diving away and detectives are investigating if they were the true targets.

Geoffrey Woodman, 27, from Battersea, heard a 'loud screech' and told MailOnline: 'It [the Ford Fiesta] cut out in front of us through the red light on the wrong side of the road. It swerved left and hit the lady two bikes to my left. Its windscreen hit her quite hard. One slight turn of the wheel and it would have taken me out. It was chaos'.

Police chief says terror suspect won't speak but rules out chase before rampage started A suspected terrorist arrested at gunpoint after ploughing a car into pedestrians near parliament is refusing to talk to police as detectives try to identify him, the Met's terror chief said today. Neil Basu, the Met's Assistant Commissioner Specialist Operations, said the man, in his 20s, is 'not currently cooperating' after his arrest shortly after 7.30am. A woman remains in hospital in a serious but stable condition after the suspected attacker drove a silver Ford Fiesta into cyclists before crashing into security barrier. Police are treating the incident as a 'deliberate' terrorist incident. It is not yet known whether the suspected attacker was on the radar of security services. Speaking outside New Scotland Yard, Mr Basu said: 'At 7.37am a silver Ford Fiesta was involved in a collision at the front of the Houses of Parliament. 'That vehicle collided cyclists and pedestrians before it hit the barrier and came to a stop. 'Two people have been taken to hospital, one man has already been discharged and a woman has serious but non life threatening injuries. 'Another man was also treated at the scene but didn't require hospital treatment.' Mr Basu said the suspect was the only person in the vehicle and was 'arrested at the scene by armed officers' and taken to a police station in south London. Mr Basu added: 'This appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this iconic site, we're treating it as a terrorist incident. 'Officers are searching the vehicle but no other weapons have been found at this time.' He said no other suspects were identified or reported, adding: 'There's no intelligence at this time of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the U.K.' He said: 'The priority is to formally establish the ID and his motives. He is not currently cooperating.' Police are now carrying out 'various other urgent inquiries' and appealed for anyone with information to come forward. Mr Basu said: 'Clearly we are treating the scene and parliament square as a crime scene so cordons are likely to be in place for some time. 'This has caused a great deal of disruption to those who live, work or were visiting this area.' Asked whether police were tailing the man before the incident, he said: 'There was not a police car in pursuit of the vehicle.' Advertisement

Scotland Yard said the crash is being treated as a 'terrorist incident'. Counter-terror chief Neil Basu said that he appears to have been working alone and there is 'no intelligence at this time of further danger' to Londoners following the car attack.

He said: 'It appears to be a deliberate act. We are treating it as a terrorist incident. The man is in his late 20s and he's been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and has been taken to a South London police station where he remains in custody.

'Our priority now is to formally establish the identity of the suspect and establish his motivation if we can. He is not currently co-operating'.

Security minister Ben Wallace has also called for the public to be vigilant about odd behaviour and report it to police to help stop future terror attacks.

The MP warned that as attackers use 'everyday items' such as knives and cars to strike a 'free and open' society, individuals, community leaders and car hire businesses among others should 'get ahead of the game'.

Mr Wallace also suggested that terrorists were driven to pick 'nearby' items - as instructed by terrorist grooming materials, he said - because of the difficulty in obtaining guns as a result of police and Government efforts.

Parliament is closed today but most MPs are away because it is during the summer recess, and a huge 'Terror cordon' stretching nearly a mile around Parliament Square is in place.

In a statement earlier today, a Nottinghamshire Police spokesperson said: 'Counter Terrorism officers, supported by Nottinghamshire Police, are undertaking a search of a residential property in Nottingham this evening (Tuesday).

'The activity, at a flat in the Radford/Arboretum area of the city, is in response to this morning's declared terrorist incident in Westminster.

'As a result we have increased patrols in the area in a bid to provide reassurance to local residents. If anyone has any concerns we would encourage them to speak to a uniformed officer.

'We are continually monitoring the situation closely and will of course respond appropriately should any direct threat to public safety be identified.

'Further enquiries relating to the police investigation should be referred to the Metropolitan Police Service on 020 7230 2171.'

An occupant of the house searched in Nottingham said: 'They thought the car was insured or registered here but it isn't.

'They were asking about a silver Fiesta. They said they were investigating what happened in Westminster.'

Benas Butkevicius, who lives next door to the house that was raided, said: 'I was asleep when it happened. I just heard some banging and scratching.

'I work night shifts - at about 4pm I woke up to the scratching.'

Today's crash came 17 months after Khalid Masood drove into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge - killing five - before stabbing to death PC Keith Palmer at the gates of Parliament.

Ewalina Ochab saw the incident and said: 'I think it looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers', while Jason Williams said: 'I saw at least 10 people lying down. I had to run for my life', and Barry Williams said: 'One of the cyclists jumped up and ran after the driver'.

The moment the suspect was arrested was caught on camera and witness, Donovan, told LBC: 'Six four-by-fours shot past us and armed police jumped out and over the barrier. They were just dragging him out, but they were pointing guns in the car'.

As a suspected terrorist appears to have launched a carborne attack in London again, it also emerged:

Ford Fiesta bought two months ago crashes into cyclists, pedestrians and then barriers outside Houses of Parliament at 7.30am;

Armed officers seen leaping over barriers and training rifles on the car before dragging suspect from the driver's seat. He was in vehicle alone and there were no weapons, bombs or chemicals found;

Suspect from the West Midlands was arrested on suspicion of terror offences and taken to south London police station. He is refusing to co-operate;

Detectives investigate if attack was indiscriminate or aimed at two police officers manning checkpoint;

Two people are treated in St Thomas' Hospital but several more were also treated at the scene and say car 'deliberately' swerved towards them;

Giant 'terror cordon' surrounds Houses of Parliament but most MPs are away because of summer recess;

Attack came 17 months after Khalid Masood's Westminster rampage killed six and tested new barriers installed to stop similar carnage happening again;

Donald Trump wakes up and tweets about the Westminster terror incident and said: 'These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength!'

A meeting of the Government's emergency cobra committee was held at 2pm today - but no cabinet ministers were expected to attend.

Prime Minister Theresa May is currently away in Switzerland on the second leg of her summer holiday but she said her thoughts were with those injured in the Westminster car crash and thanked the emergency services for their 'immediate and courageous' response.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said: 'Huge thanks to our emergency services for their rapid reaction to incident in Westminster this morning. My thoughts are with those injured.'

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: 'My thoughts are with those hurt and injured outside Parliament this morning in what is being treated as a terrorist incident.

'Our thanks go to our emergency services who responded immediately. Their bravery keeps us safe day in, day out.'

On arrival at Parliament, Boris Johnson said: 'If it is indeed confirmed to be a terror incident, then it's very sad and very troubling indeed.

'Hopefully people will be able to go about their normal days as soon as possible.'

More than 200 officers flooded Westminster and moved members of the public away from the area in every direction in the aftermath of the attack.

Specialist officers and sniffer dogs 'sanitised' the scene - a term used when checking for a bomb or dangerous chemicals.

Witnesses said officers initially stood back and said it seemed as if they were concerned that the car may have contained a bomb.

Forensics officers have spent the say getting evidence from the Ford Fiesta, which was bought just two months ago

First responders treat victims lying in the road on Parliament Square in an attack that did not claim any lives

Bicycles are sat against a wall near the scene of the crash at the Houses of Parliament today

This is the scene in the minutes after the crash and shows the vehicle was within the network of barriers outside Parliament. These were increased after the terror attack there last year

A forensics officer photographs the smashed remains of the Ford Fiesta next to a no 3 Routemaster bus and other abandoned vehicles

Van after van of police have flooded the area and Parliament Square is likely to be closed for most of today as the terror investigation continues

Forensics officers are examining the Ford Fiesta and Parliament Square but only after specialist officers and dogs checked it for weapons, explosives or chemicals

A huge cordon only used in the event of terror attacks has been put in place spreading for a mile away from Parliament Square

Witnesses are still being interviewed by the police and many described seeing the driver veer towards people hitting between 10 and 15 people

This is the first suspected terror attack in Britain this year - there were five last year including four in the capital

A police helicopter hovered over Parliament for several hours as officers tried to see if the suspect was working alone

Trump blasts 'animal' after 'another terrorist attack in London' US President Donald Trump today branded the London terror suspect an 'animal'. The president has previously said Sadiq Khan was failing to tackle extremism and crime in the city - blaming high levels of immigration. The tycoon spoke out again shortly after 7.30am in Washington and said on Twitter: 'Another terrorist attack in London...These animals are crazy and must be dealt with through toughness and strength!' Previously he said there were areas of London where police were scared to go because of extremism. Advertisement

Witness Jason Williams told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the incident was 'very, very scary'.

He said: 'Basically 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'.

'It looked deliberate. It didn't look like an accident. How do you do that by accident? It was a loud bang.

'I was very surprised (the police didn't go in straight away). They seemed to be standing back. They were obviously a bit wary, like what's going to happen next?

'I don't know if it was a tip-off, a warning, that this was a bomb. There seems to be maybe about 200 police here now, and it's all happened very quickly in the space of half an hour.

'I have seen people on the ground, lying on the road. I don't know if they have actually been hit by the vehicle or not. I saw at least 10 people lying down. I had to run for my life.'

Bus driver Victor Ogbomo, 49, was driving passengers past the front of Westminster when he saw the crash.

He said: 'All I saw was the smoke coming out of a silver vehicle. I just stopped the bus.

'The police said we have to move back, then in less than five minutes the response team came. They went to the vehicle, so we had to push back. I saw the car in the barrier'.

The car (circled bottom right) may have struck cyclists

Scotland Yard put out this statement this morning confirming an incident had taken place but said it was too early to tell if it was terror-related. Two hours later they said they were keeping 'open mind' by counter-terror police took over the case

Police closed off Westminster Bridge (pictured) and all major roads leading to Parliament Square in the aftermath of the crash

Armed officers were among the hundreds of police who flooded into the Westminster area in the aftermath

Westminster Tube was also closed as a precaution and is being patrolled by armed British Transport Police (pictured)

The cordon has been extended along Millbank and around 200 officers are at the scene

Members of the public and press were moved back further from the area as police put up a 'Terrorism Act cordon', according to an officer at the scene

Suspected terror attack tests beefed up Westminster security Security measures around Westminster and on central London bridges were beefed up in the wake of terror attacks last year. Within days of the atrocity at London Bridge and Borough Market in June 2017, barriers were put in place on bridges including Westminster, Waterloo and Lambeth in a bid to stop terrorists mowing down pedestrians. Tactics for armed officers were also changed, with marksmen allowed to shoot at a vehicle being used in such an attack. Previously, firearms officers had the option of shooting at a moving car, van or lorry, but this was discouraged as it was felt it could increase the risk to the public. But the approach was revised so that firing at a car, van or lorry when it is on the move is an accepted tactic for such incidents. There are also more armed patrols on the streets at any one time, with the number of firearms officers and vehicles having gradually increased since 2016. A £143 million plan to boost armed policing was announced in the months after the terrorist attacks in Paris in November 2015, in which 130 people died and hundreds more were injured. Security arrangements around Parliament are likely to come under fresh scrutiny at the forthcoming inquests into the deaths of five people including police officer Keith Palmer who were killed in the Westminster Bridge attack last year. Khalid Masood ploughed a hired SUV into pedestrians on the bridge before getting out and fatally stabbing Mr Palmer, who was guarding the Palace of Westminster but was unarmed. Around a month later, former Taliban bomb maker Khalid Ali was arrested in Parliament Square with three knives ready to attack MPs and police. He was later jailed for at least 40 years for making the explosive devices and 25 years for the knife plot. Scotland Yard said the public can expect to see more police officers, both armed and unarmed, on the capital's streets in the wake of Tuesday's incident. Questions will be raised about why the attack took place during recess when Parliament is not sitting. Advertisement

Cyclist James Maker, 30, of Chelmsford, Essex, passed the scene in Westminster within minutes of the crash to see a woman injured on the floor and the car crashed into the barrier.

'I looked to the right-hand side and there was a cyclist on the floor, clearly injured,' he said.

'It was a woman, they were clearly quite injured, they weren't moving and they were in the recovery position.'

Fellow cyclists were helping her, he said, adding: 'There were a couple of cyclists who had clearly been involved who were sitting on the floor and perhaps had minor injuries.

'I must be honest, I've got a young son and a wife and my initial reaction was as long as paramedics were seeing to the woman, I wanted to get away from the incident.'

The head of policy at the County Councils Network then saw the silver Ford Fiesta crashed into the barrier outside Westminster Palace.

'You've got to have an intent to go for that barrier, there's so many security barriers and the way the car ended up in that part it would appear deliberate to me. It's gone up the driveway and hit the actual barrier thinking perhaps it would open,' he said.

A huge police cordon continued to expand this morning, stretching from Parliament Square to St James's Park.

A number of high-profile buildings within the cordon included the Supreme Court, HMRC and the Treasury.

The usually busy roads were taped off with police officers on guard at every road. Among the roads closed off include Old Queen Street and Birdcage Walk.

Westminster Bridge and the Tube station were both closed and the length of Whitehall was completely shut off to traffic, with the cordon extended up to where the road meets Trafalgar Square.

A police officer said: 'It is such a big cordon it's chaos at the moment but the public's safety is of course paramount.'

Police evacuated dozens of people and cars from St James's Park as they extend their cordon around a vehicle which crashed earlier today.

The driver of a van asked a policeman at the scene if it was a terror attack. The officer replied: 'It's looking that way.'

British Transport Police (BTP) said it would be putting extra officers on patrols in England, Scotland and Wales today and into the evening following the Westminster terror attack.

Superintendent Chris Horton from BTP said: 'We know incidents such as this are likely to cause concern, so our officers will be highly visible both on board trains and at stations.

'We are there to reassure the travelling public, so please don't be alarmed if you see our officers, including firearms officers, on your journey.'

Holidaymaker Justin Davey, 48, was going on a morning jog through St James's Park with his family when they were suddenly told to leave the park.

He told MailOnline: 'Police just shouted, "get out of the park".'

Mr Davey admitted that it was a scary experience, with the family having only just arrived from Mexico for their holiday to London.

He said: 'It's not what to see when you're on holiday - helicopters flying around and this type of thing. It is quite scary. The police are very well organised though.'

The cordon also extended the other way up Whitehall and past the Cenotaph and Downing Street

Armed officers surrounded Parliament Square after this morning's rush hour crash

A witness, who gave his name only as James, described how he had been cycling past Parliament shortly after the incident happened.

How the Westminster car's current owner has been registered for only two months The car involved in today’s crash was a 2010 Ford Fiesta, first registered near Nottingham in March 2010. Forensic officers by the car that crashed into security barriers outside Parliament It has had five previous owners before the current keeper – who has only been registered to it since June 20. The car, which has a manual transmission, is valued at about £4,500 and has an estimated mileage of around 68,000. It previously failed an MOT in 2015 due to issues with the front brake pad, front tyre and front windscreen wiper. It was also said to have suffered serious structural damage last November and written off - but then passed its most recent MOT this May. Advertisement

'There was a cyclist clearly injured on the floor, there was a number of cyclists off their bikes. As I went past, an ambulance turned up,' he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.

'As I carried on down I was told to get off my bike by a police officer. He said there'd been an incident. As I looked up as I got off my bike, I saw there was a car in the barrier.

'My natural reaction was to get away from the scene.'

Two people were treated at the scene in Westminster for injuries that are not thought to be serious, London Ambulance Service said.

Assistant Director of Operations Peter Rhodes said: 'We were called at 7.40am today to reports of an incident on St Margaret Street, SW1.

'We sent a number of resources to the scene including three ambulance crews, responders in cars and an incident response officer.

'We have treated two people at the scene for injuries that are not believed to be serious and have taken them to hospital.'

The police response suggests they will be considering if a terror attack was a motive.

Security expert Chris Phillips told ITV's Good Morning Britain: 'Clearly this vehicle has crashed into the barriers. The barriers are there to protect the building and the people inside. They've been there a long time actually.

'I think one of the biggest issues for police officers when they approached the vehicle was could it explode. So the fact that the officers have got in there, got the man out and are dealing with it is a really good sign.

'This could well be some form of an attack that's not quite worked properly for the attacker. The whole point of those barriers is they are to stop and slow down any vehicles getting close to the building and people inside.

'So if you tried to crash through those barriers, it just wouldn't work. They're strong enough to stop a vehicle at 50mph. So the fact that the officers are taking it very seriously obviously means that they've got some concerns.

'And of course they also now want to search the vehicle to make sure there's nothing inside it that could cause anyone damage.'

Tourists risk backlash as they pose for selfies next to Westminster Bridge police cordon shortly after Parliament terror crash Tourists have been caught posing for selfies next to a police cordon shortly after the terror attack outside the Houses of Parliament today. The visitors seemed to be unaware of the seriousness of the attack which saw a car collide with cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into security barriers. The tourists risked a backlash as they smiled for the camera this morning in front of police officers standing on Westminster Bridge to guard the scene. Three tourists pose for a group selfie at the police cordon on Westminster Bridge today Ben Lewis, chief Europe correspondent for Australian network SBS News, tweeted how it was 'bizarre' that a tourist photographed her daughter in front of the scene. He said: 'Will never understand people who take selfies at crime scenes. One tourist taking photos of her little daughter next to me with armed police in background.' And BBC journalist Edward Lawrence, who was also at the scene, added: 'There's literally a tourist group at the terror cordon having a tour, in the middle of road.' Following the attack at about 7.40am today, police cordoned off a large area around Parliament, which is usually bustling with tourists and government workers. A man poses for a photo on Westminster Bridge today after it was cordoned off to traffic Journalist Ben Lewis said it was 'bizarre' that a tourist photographed her daughter at the scene Today, Scotland Yard said the terror suspect accused of deliberately crashing a car outside the Houses of Parliament was not known to police or MI5. The man, in his late 20s, is being held in custody at a police station but is not co-operating with officers. He was arrested on suspicion of terror offences. The silver car can be seen in footage of the incident coming along the road next to Parliament Square before moving to turn right towards Westminster Abbey. As an ambulance passes the car, the vehicle swerves left, crossing oncoming traffic and a pavement before entering a small road and crashing into a security barrier. Advertisement

UK security services have 676 'live' terror investigations ongoing and foiled 13 Islamist extremist plots over the past 18 months

Theresa May says latest attack at Westminster 'shocking' and urges 'vigilance'

No10 reveals that security services have 676 'live' terror investigations ongoing

Some 13 Islamist plots and four right-wing plots foiled over past 18 months

By James Tapsfield, Political Editor for MailOnline

The security services are conducting 676 'live' terrorism investigations and have foiled 13 Islamist plots over the last 18 months, it was revealed today.

Evidence of the scale of the threat to the UK came as Theresa May urged the public to be 'vigilant' and defy the extremists.

In a statement after the suspected terror attack at Westminster, when a man in a Ford Fiesta mowed down cyclists before crashing into barriers around Parliament, the Prime Minister said the incident was'shocking'.

Theresa May (pictured at a commemoration in Amiens last week) is on holiday in Switzerland today, but Downing Street insisted she was being kept fully briefed on the situation

'The threat to the United Kingdom from terrorism remains severe. I would urge the public to remain vigilant - but also to come together and carry on as normal, just as they did after the sickening attacks in Manchester and London last year,' she said.

'The twisted aim of the extremists is to use violence and terror to divide us. They will never succeed.'

The PM's spokesman said that over the past 18 months 13 Islamist terrorist plots had been foiled, and four far-right plots.

There are 676 live terrorism investigations in progress, he said. The previous figure given in March was that there were 'over 500'.

The government's COBRA emergency committee met to consider the situation earlier, but no ministers were present.

Mrs May is on holiday in Switzerland, but Downing Street insisted she was being kept fully briefed on the situation.

Chancellor Philip Hammond is the ranking minister on duty in Westminster.

Home Secretary Sajid Javid is breaking his family holiday - which was only just starting - to help with the response.

'For the second time in as many years the home of our democracy, which is a potent symbol of our precious values of tolerance and freedom, has witnessed terrible scenes just yards from its door,' Mrs May said.

'My thoughts are with the innocent members of the public who were hurt in this appalling incident.

'I wish them a speedy recovery and we must be thankful that nobody suffered life-threatening injuries.

'I also wish to praise the formidable courage of our emergency services, who were on the scene immediately and in significant numbers.

'Once again, they did not flinch and ran towards a dangerous situation in order to protect the public.

'The country is hugely grateful for their calmness and professionalism.'

How today's crash comes 17 months after Westminster Bridge attack that left five people dead and 50 injured

Muslim convert Khalid Masood plouged car into crowds on bridge in March 2017

52-year-old abandoned car then stabbed and killed unarmed PC Keith Palmer

Parliament's security barriers of steel and concrete were extended after attack

Today's crash outside the Houses of Parliament comes 17 months after the Westminster Bridge attack which left five people dead and 50 injured.

Khalid Masood, 52, ploughed a car into crowds on the bridge in London in March 2017, in the first of five terrorist attacks on Britain last year.

Masood abandoned his car then stabbed and killed unarmed PC Keith Palmer before he was shot by armed police in a courtyard outside Parliament.

Khalid Masood (left) ploughed a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge in March 2017, before abandoning his vehicle then stabbing and killing unarmed PC Keith Palmer (right)

A policeman points a gun at Masood on the ground at the Houses of Parliament in March 2017

Parliament is surrounded with security barriers of steel and concrete, which were extended after last year's attack to provide further protection.

Security expert Chris Phillips said: 'The whole point of those barriers is they are to stop and slow down any vehicles getting close to the building and people inside.'

On ITV's Good Morning Britain today, he added: 'If you tried to crash through those barriers, it just wouldn't work. They're strong enough to stop a vehicle at 50mph.'

Masood was a Muslim convert with a history of violent crime - and unleashed his rampage more than a decade after turning his back on his family in Birmingham.

People stand near the crashed car and a injured person lying on the ground after the attack

The scene on Westminster Bridge in London following the terrorist attack in March 2017

The father-of-three, born Adrian Elms in Kent, changed his name after amassing a series of criminal convictions and spent years living in a series of terrorist hotbeds.

After Masood's rampage, there were four further attacks - at the Manchester Arena, London Bridge, Finsbury Park in North London and Parsons Green in West London.

Last week, a Muslim convert admitted plotting to kill more than 100 people by driving a truck into pedestrians on Oxford Street in the capital's West End.

Britain is on its second highest threat level of 'severe', meaning an attack by militants is 'highly likely'. Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit is leading today's probe.

Police patrols are stepped up across Britain and Parliament put on lockdown after terror attack - as Met chief insists there is 'no intelligence of further danger' to Londoners

British Transport Police will have extra officers this afternoon and evening

Public will see them on trains and at stations in England, Scotland and Wales

Workers trapped inside Parliament Square buildings told to hide in basements

Car collided with cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into security barriers

Police patrols were today stepped up across Britain after a car collided with cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into security barriers in Westminster.

British Transport Police said commuters will see extra officers this afternoon and evening on trains and at stations around England, Scotland and Wales.

And workers trapped inside Parliament Square buildings were told to hide in basements and stay away from windows after the crash at about 7.40am today.

British Transport Police said commuters will see more of its officers this afternoon (file picture)

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said there was 'no intelligence at this time of further danger' to Londoners following the attack.

But he added: 'Detectives from the counter-terrorism command are making various other urgent enquiries to ensure that there is no outstanding risk to the public.'

Scott Hawkins, who works in IT support for the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors in Westminster, was told to hide in the basement of his building by police.

He did not know when they would be allowed out, saying: 'Police advised us to stay in the basement of our building as being near windows is a security risk right now.

Westminster station on the London Underground's Circle, District and Jubilee lines is closed

'I was walking through Parliament Square just before the crash so I missed the actual event. The police have put our building on lockdown.'

BTP said anybody with concerns following the incident outside the Houses of Parliament can speak to a member of rail staff or a police officer.

Superintendent Chris Horton said: 'We know incidents such as this are likely to cause concern, so our officers will be highly visible both on board trains and at stations.

'We are there to reassure the travelling public so please don't be alarmed if you see our officers, including firearms officers, on your journey.'

Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu said today (pictured) that there was 'no intelligence at this time of further danger' to Londoners following the attack

Surrounding roads including Westminster Bridge, Abingdon Street and Whitehall all closed today, along with Westminster station on the London Underground.

On arrival at Parliament, former foreign secretary Boris Johnson said: 'Hopefully people will be able to go about their normal days as soon as possible.'

The driver, who is in his late 20s, has been arrested on suspicion of terror offences and is being held in custody at a police station in South London.

Armed officers swarmed the scene following the suspected terror attack and the man, wearing a black puffer jacket, was led away in handcuffs from a Ford Fiesta.

'I heard a car screeching... it swerved left and hit the lady two bikes to my left': Cyclists are left sprawled in the road next to their mangled bikes after car smashes into them in Parliament 'terror attack'

Video footage showed paramedics attending to cyclists near Parliament Square

Worried bystanders seen looking on as cyclists sat on St Margaret Street today

One cyclist told how he cheated death as the speeding car ploughed past him

Injured cyclists were sprawled in the road next to their mangled bikes after a car crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament today.

Video footage showed paramedics attending to the cyclists next to Parliament Square in Westminster following the smash that saw the area put into lockdown.

Worried bystanders could be seen looking on as the cyclists sat on St Margaret Street waiting for help following the crash that has injured at least two people.

One cyclist, a management consultant, told MailOnline how he cheated death as the speeding car ploughed past him - knocking down the cyclist next to him.

Geoffrey Woodman, 27, from Battersea, was cycling to work when he heard a 'loud screech' and the car slammed into the woman on the bicycle next to him.

'I felt very shocked,' he said. 'It was a very odd experience to have. It happens more and more but you never expect it to be you. It was so close.

'One slight turn of the wheel and it would have taken me out. I had pulled up to the red light by Parliament Square and put my foot down.

'After about ten seconds I heard a car screeching over the bridge. It was obscured behind a van at first but then it cut out in front of us through the red light on the wrong side of the road.

'It swerved left and hit the lady two bikes to my left. It was going about 40 to 50mph. Its windscreen hit her quite hard as she was trying to jump off to the left.

'I'm jumping off to the right and once it had gone past I looked to the left and saw her on the ground with bikes everywhere. It was chaos.

'She was a middle-aged lady, about 40 to 45 years old, about 5ft 5in tall. She was wearing cycling gear, grey trousers, a bright top and a helmet.

Injured cyclists are sprawled in the road next to their mangled bikes after the crash today

'She was on the ground talking to about ten other cyclists who were clustered around her. She was in a lot of distress.

'There was no blood but I'd be surprised if there were no broken bones. I think she may have broken her hip.'

Another witness, Barry Williams, told BBC News that the car was 'heading towards cyclists' on the wrong side of the road as they waited for the lights to change.

He said: 'He hit the cyclist and then swerved over towards the safety barrier... and accelerated and hit it at quite high speed.

Police investigate after the car crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament

'I don't know whether he meant to hit the cyclist, they may just have been in the way, but he accelerated hard towards the barrier.'

Armed officers swarmed the scene this morning – and a man, wearing a black puffer jacket, was surrounded by officers and led away in handcuffs from a Ford.

Two people were taken to hospital after being treated at the scene for injuries, which are not believed to be serious, the London Ambulance Service said.