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Breaking news: Streets around Houses of Parliament in London including Cycle Superhighway in lockdown as police respond to major incident

Man with knife reportedly shot outside Parliament, several seriously injured as driver reportedly crashes into pedestrians

Streets around the Houses of Parliament in London, including a section of the East-West Cycle Superhighway, are in lockdown as police respond to a major incident at the Houses of Parliament which has left four people dead, including one police officer, and others seriously injured.

The Metropolitan Police have advised the public to keep away from the following areas due to the incident: Parliament Square, Whitehall, Westminster Bridge, Lambeth Bridge, Victoria Street up to the junction with Broadway and the Victoria Embankment up to Embankment tube.

Eyewitnesses have described how at around 2.40pm, a driver turned across the Cycle Superhighway on Bridge Street and crashed into people, apparently leaving several seriously injured, in what seems to have been an attempt to use the vehicle to force entry to the grounds of the Palace of Westminster.

The Telegraph reports that the driver was said to have wielded a knife as he ran towards police officers guarding the complex, who are reported to have opened fire on him.

The London air ambulance is in attendance as are a number of ambulance crews  and there is now a huge police presence including armed officers in the area.

If you commute along the East-West Cycle Superhighway, you will need to find an alternative route given the road closures between Embankment Tube and Parliament Square. Possible detours include heading up Northumberland Avenue towards the Mall, then turning onto Horseguards Parade and  then rejoining the route (or vice-versa, as the case may be).

With street closures also in force from Parliament Square to Lambeth Bridge, anyone who would normally travel west along Millbank will also have to find an alternative route.

More to follow.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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26 comments

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
3 likes

Good arguments above for driverless tech. Not only can they improve road safety in terms of generally reckless driving, speeding etc, but they can also shut down attempts to use the vehicle as a weapon. 

Avatar
davel | 7 years ago
8 likes

There's a valid point in there and debate to be had.

5 people will have died on the roads, yesterday, too. The same number will die again today, and tomorrow, and so on...

I think it's valid to contrast the blasé attitude of our leaders about that statistic (1700+ deaths per year) with the lockdown we're under because of (as has been pointed out) our overseas meddling. And then go further and consider that the entire country is on lockdown because of the resultant terrorism, even though it kills as many people as wasps and bees do.**

It might be scary and fucking awful when it happens, but some perspective is needed over this: in 16 years,  58 people have been killed in the mainland UK due to terrorism.* That equates to less than 2 weeks' worth of road casualties.

We've got an epidemic worthy of emergency measures, and it isn't terrorism.

* Yesterday's attack, Lee Rigby and 7/7 - http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7613...

** http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/28/terrorism-bees_n_1633308.html

Avatar
DaveE128 replied to davel | 7 years ago
3 likes
davel wrote:

There's a valid point in there and debate to be had.

5 people will have died on the roads, yesterday, too. The same number will die again today, and tomorrow, and so on...

I think it's valid to contrast the blasé attitude of our leaders about that statistic (1700+ deaths per year) with the lockdown we're under because of (as has been pointed out) our overseas meddling. And then go further and consider that the entire country is on lockdown because of the resultant terrorism, even though it kills as many people as wasps and bees do.**

It might be scary and fucking awful when it happens, but some perspective is needed over this: in 16 years,  58 people have been killed in the mainland UK due to terrorism.* That equates to less than 2 weeks' worth of road casualties.

We've got an epidemic worthy of emergency measures, and it isn't terrorism.

* Yesterday's attack, Lee Rigby and 7/7 - http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7613...

** http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2012/06/28/terrorism-bees_n_1633308.html

THIS!

And one of the frustrating aspects of this is that the media and political hype around "terrorism" is what really seems to create the terror.  We give these murderers exactly what they are seeking.  2

Avatar
steviewevie | 7 years ago
2 likes

Don't feed the troll ...

 

Avatar
jasecd | 7 years ago
5 likes

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to jasecd | 7 years ago
5 likes
jasecd wrote:

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

let me just add a little perspective before getting sucked into your mainstream "terror" narrative...

I see on this site weekly some arsehole 4x4 driver endangering and killing individuals and they get an £80 fine and 3 points on their licence...

this happens in westminster and suddenly the whole country is on some bullshit "terror alert" - I don't think so mate

Avatar
STiG911 replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
1 like
beezus fufoon wrote:
jasecd wrote:

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

let me just add a little perspective before getting sucked into your mainstream "terror" narrative...

I see on this site weekly some arsehole 4x4 driver endangering and killing individuals and they get an £80 fine and 3 points on their licence...

this happens in westminster and suddenly the whole country is on some bullshit "terror alert" - I don't think so mate

Arsehole 4x4 drivers don't mount, then stay on the pavement mowing down as many people as they can before jumping out and stabbing even more. This is what separates a terror attack from your 'perspective'. Which is bullshit.

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to STiG911 | 7 years ago
2 likes
STiG911 wrote:
beezus fufoon wrote:
jasecd wrote:

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

let me just add a little perspective before getting sucked into your mainstream "terror" narrative...

I see on this site weekly some arsehole 4x4 driver endangering and killing individuals and they get an £80 fine and 3 points on their licence...

this happens in westminster and suddenly the whole country is on some bullshit "terror alert" - I don't think so mate

Arsehole 4x4 drivers don't mount, then stay on the pavement mowing down as many people as they can before jumping out and stabbing even more. This is what separates a terror attack from your 'perspective'. Which is bullshit.

many drivers do use their cars as weapons and do deliberately endager, maim, and kill, often with very lenient sentencing as a consequence, and with no huge reaction or overblown "attack on democracy" rhetoric to politicise it for leverage by the likes of the tories - yet many more people are killed and injured in apparently "normal" everyday situations - so the figures are proportionally greater, only without the media appearances of the politicians milking it.

Avatar
STiG911 replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
0 likes
beezus fufoon wrote:

many drivers do use their cars as weapons and do deliberately endager, maim, and kill, often with very lenient sentencing as a consequence, and with no huge reaction or overblown "attack on democracy" rhetoric to politicise it for leverage by the likes of the tories - yet many more people are killed and injured in apparently "normal" everyday situations - so the figures are proportionally greater, only without the media appearances of the politicians milking it.

You appear to have wandered in from your BNP site...

Avatar
jasecd replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
3 likes
beezus fufoon wrote:
jasecd wrote:

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

let me just add a little perspective before getting sucked into your mainstream "terror" narrative...

I see on this site weekly some arsehole 4x4 driver endangering and killing individuals and they get an £80 fine and 3 points on their licence...

this happens in westminster and suddenly the whole country is on some bullshit "terror alert" - I don't think so mate

 

You're not my mate - I'd never be friends with somebody so insensitive and so lacking in intelligence that they conflate their own personal grievances into any issue regardless of how relevant.

All you've done in your response is validate that you are indeed a cretin.

 

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to jasecd | 7 years ago
2 likes
jasecd wrote:
beezus fufoon wrote:
jasecd wrote:

Beezuz Fufoon - you're a fucking cretin.

Four deaths and twenty injured, a number of which are described as life changing, and the best you can do is make glib remarks with no thought for those affected?

On a personal level, my family and I spent a diffcult few hours yesterday evening unable to contact my Aunt who works at the House of Lords and walks over Westminister Bridge daily. Fortunately she was "locked down" with a number of MP's and had left her phone in her office. Our five hours of worrying is completely insignificant when compared with the hell that the relatives of those who were hurt and killed are going through now.

Perhaps you should apologise.

 

let me just add a little perspective before getting sucked into your mainstream "terror" narrative...

I see on this site weekly some arsehole 4x4 driver endangering and killing individuals and they get an £80 fine and 3 points on their licence...

this happens in westminster and suddenly the whole country is on some bullshit "terror alert" - I don't think so mate

 

You're not my mate - I'd never be friends with somebody so insensitive and so lacking in intelligence that they conflate their own personal grievances into any issue regardless of how relevant.

All you've done in your response is validate that you are indeed a cretin.

 

conflating personal grievances with the issue is exactly what you're doing by calling me names - the issue of justice on the roads for many cyclists is not particularly a personal grievance of mine, merely an observation of how skewed the perspective is of the various institutions in this country.

Avatar
congokid | 7 years ago
4 likes

I see in radio interviews this morning some people who should know better are already blaming the attack on the presence of a (white dashed line delineated) bike lane on Westminster Bridge, even though the attacker appeared to be mostly driving on the pavement.

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to congokid | 7 years ago
2 likes
congokid wrote:

I see in radio interviews this morning some people who should know better are already blaming the attack on the presence of a (white dashed line delineated) bike lane on Westminster Bridge, even though the attacker appeared to be mostly driving on the pavement.

seems the concept of the consequences of an imperialst foreign policy is beyond them - just as the prime minister also seems to be struggling with the use of the plural - "terrorists" to describe a single person!

Avatar
Rapha Nadal replied to congokid | 7 years ago
1 like

congokid wrote:

I see in radio interviews this morning

How'd you manage that?

Avatar
billymansell replied to congokid | 7 years ago
7 likes
congokid wrote:

I see in radio interviews this morning some people who should know better are already blaming the attack on the presence of a (white dashed line delineated) bike lane on Westminster Bridge, even though the attacker appeared to be mostly driving on the pavement.

I did read on BikeBiz some reference to what was said on Radio 4 this morning.

It appears extremely callous of a (former) peer to have made reference to the bike lane putting those in parliament at risk when, as you say, the majority of the deaths and injuries occurred on Westminster Bridge footpath.

The use of a motor vehicle as a weapon in this way is not unknown to cyclists. If anything could be learned from yesterday's events is the danger that human traffic, whether on foot or by bike, faces every day and at any moment. Greater delineation or exclusion of motor traffic is what is required in such areas which could not only mitigate against potential terrorist threats but would also result in cleaner and safer environments for the general public.

Avatar
antonio | 7 years ago
5 likes

Kudos to the cyclist who calmly dismounted his bike, parked it, then went to help an injured person at the front of the crashed car outside the Parliament buildings. Would be good if he was recognised.

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beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
3 likes

just curious whether the perp will be posthumously fined £80 and given 3 points on his licence for driving without due care and attention

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beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
1 like

should've been wearing helmets!

Avatar
Yorkshire wallet replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
3 likes
beezus fufoon wrote:

should've been wearing helmets!

I'll get your coat.

Avatar
Stumps | 7 years ago
11 likes

Thoughts go to all those injured in this incident. Nothing more needs to be said. 

Avatar
martinpeake replied to Stumps | 7 years ago
7 likes
Stumps wrote:

Thoughts go to all those injured in this incident. Nothing more needs to be said. 

And kudos to the MP who tried to save the policeman. Above and beyond, irrespective of party.

Avatar
Mungecrundle replied to martinpeake | 7 years ago
4 likes
martinpeake wrote:
Stumps wrote:

Thoughts go to all those injured in this incident. Nothing more needs to be said. 

And kudos to the MP who tried to save the policeman. Above and beyond, irrespective of party.

And indeed to all the emergency responders and especially members of the public who jumped to the assistance of others in what must have been very harrowing circumstances and without knowing the danger of the ongoing situation.

Extra proud to be British today.

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beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
0 likes

it seems one person, a man with no trousers, wielding a knife, has somehow become a major terrorist incident

- just think of the level of revolutionary action that someone with trousers on and an actual proper tool could incite 

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
8 likes

Politicians stirring up hatred yet it's a poor woman going about her day that gets killed. They'll all be singing the same sanctimonious speil over the coming days to elevate their status. 

 

Then get back to stirring up divisiveness the week after. 

 

 

Avatar
paradyzer replied to tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
2 likes
unconstituted wrote:

Politicians stirring up hatred yet it's a poor woman going about her day that gets killed. They'll all be singing the same sanctimonious speil over the coming days to elevate their status. 

 

Then get back to stirring up divisiveness the week after. 

 

 

 

I don't think better words could have been used to describe not only yesterday, but every day, depending where you are in the world...

Avatar
CygnusX1 | 7 years ago
0 likes

Just seen it on the news, lots of vehicles parked in the cycle lane (police and paramedics). Reports of at least one fatality.

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