The attacker is said to be Asian and in his 40s (Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

The man behind the terror attack on Parliament was identified by witnesses as an ‘Asian man in his 40s’ who was driving a car registered to an affluent area of Essex.

The attacker drove the Hyundai i40 across Westminster Bridge before ploughing into at least a dozen people, including three French school children, and then crashing outside Parliament.

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He then stabbed a police officer at the Houses of Parliament before being shot by the officer’s colleagues.

The police officer and his attacker are said to be among the four dead, which also includes a woman who was on the bridge.




The attacker, who it is understood has been identified by police, was driving a £28,000 Hyundai that is a year old and registered to Chelmsford.

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(Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

(Picture: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire)

Witnesses described the suspect a heavy-set man carrying a knife.

Jayne Wilkinson said: ‘We were taking photos of Big Ben and we saw all the people running towards us.

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‘And then there was an Asian guy in about his 40s carrying a knife about seven or eight inches long.

‘And then there were three shots fired, and then we crossed the road and looked over. The man was on the floor with blood.

‘He had a lightweight jacket on, dark trousers and a shirt. He was running through those gates, towards Parliament, and the police were chasing him.’

The car mounted the pavement on Westminister Bridge after ploughing into pedestrians (Picture: Universal News And Sport)

The photo of the alleged attacker shows a pair of brown shoes lying to the side as he is strapped to the stretcher and taken to hospital.

Two people were seen being treated on the ground in New Palace Yard amid shouts and screams.

An air ambulance landed in Parliament Square and a regular ambulance came in through the front gates as medics rushed to help the injured people.

Armed police cleared the area around the incident and Parliament Square was closed to traffic.

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