An armed attacker brought death and destruction to the streets of London on Wednesday. Five people were killed in the terror attack, including a police officer who was tabbed and his assailant.
The attacker drove his car through a crowd of people on Westminster Bridge before stabbing a police officer to death on the grounds of Parliament.
Police said the attacker, who is believed to have acted alone, mounted the pavement of the bridge and mowed down more than a dozen tourists, local workers and police officers before crashing into the Parliament railings.
Hundreds of terrified tourists including over 50 children were trapped inside the London Eye for nearly three hours following the terror attack.
The attraction had tweeted to say it was keeping visitors inside pods on the South Bank after a knifeman charged at officers outside Parliament and a car ploughed into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.
Over 50 school children were among those trapped on board the tourist attraction for nearly three hours as carnage unfolded below.
Upon being released, the riders were taken into a makeshift questioning area where the details of every family and tourist party was taken down.
A major counter-terror operation had been launched across the capital and the metropolitan police acting deputy commissioner said, though police believe there was only one attack.
The attack began at around 2.40 pm and proceedings proceedings in the House of Commons were immediately suspended. Deputy speaker David Lidington announced to the House that a police officer had been stabbed and the “alleged assailant shot by armed police”.
Westminster’s press offices occupy the top floor of the palace along from Big Ben and round to Westminster Hall, right over the courtyard where some thought the car smashing into railings sounded like an explosion, and seconds later gunshots were heard.
Chefs, maintenance men, reporters massed at the windows. One filmed as the Prime Minister’s car was hurriedly driven away.
Parliamentary authorities announced that both Houses would sit at their normal time on Thursday, in a united show of determination not to let the attack disrupt democratic proceedings.
