Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons Lindsay Hoyle has lamented the death of hero PC Keith Palmer, telling how Westminster has lost “one of our village policemen”.

Mr Hoyle said PC Palmer had lost his life in a “hideous crime” while he was trying to keep colleagues safe.

His emotive words came moments before the Houses of Parliament held a minute’s silence in honour of those who died in the horrific attack on Wednesday, and as other tributes were held across London.

Mr Hoyle was in the Commons Chamber when the attacker ploughed his car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before murdering PC Palmer and then being shot dead himself in front of shocked staff.

The Deputy Speaker said: “At this stage quite rightly as you would expect, my thoughts are with the members of the police force.

“Tragically we lost one of our village policemen. This is our village. You know, to lose a person we all know, so tragically, defending democracy, is not acceptable.”

The 48-year-old officer, a husband and father, had served in the Metropolitan Police Service for 15 years and was a member of the specialist parliamentary and diplomatic protection command.

PC Keith Palmer (Metropolitan Police)

He was a regular at the Parliament Square entrance and was known to many of the workers, journalists, MPs and others who come on to the parliamentary estate every day.

Mr Hoyle added: “Our thoughts go to his family and to the other victims of this hideous crime.

“And it’s that – people doing their duty to try and make the House of Commons safe, and he has lost his life serving us. That is a tragedy that should never have happened.”

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Speaking outside Scotland Yard, acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley, the Met's top anti-terror officer, said on Wednesday: “Today in Westminster we saw tragic events unfold and our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones, those who were injured and all those affected by this attack.

He added: “Keith, aged 48, had 15 years' service and was a husband and father.