Armed raid terror plot link

FORENSIC officers close to the Palace of Westminster

SEVEN people have been arrested and six addresses raided across London, Birmingham and elsewhere after armed police swooped in the aftermath of the attack.

Officers stormed a flat in Birmingham late last night, with West Midlands Police directing inquiries about the operation to the Metropolitan Police.

The London force refused to comment on the raid's connection to the bloody assault on Westminster, but one witness said: "The man from London lived here."

The House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit at their normal times today, despite the parliamentary estate playing unwilling host to the attack yesterday.

PC Keith Palmer, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad, was killed as he tried to stop the attacker at around 2.30pm, while three members of the public were also fatally injured.

The suspect, who was armed with two knives, injured around 40 people as he mowed down pedestrians with a car on Westminster Bridge before crashing into the railings in front of Parliament.

Bursting through the gate to the Palace of Westminster, he stabbed PC Palmer before being shot dead by armed officers.

Theresa May praised the bravery of police officers as it was announced Westminster would attempt to run as smoothly as normal.

Values

In a statement from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: "Any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure.

"Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal. And Londoners - and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city ­- will get up and go about their day as normal. They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives.

"And we will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart."

Donald Trump was among several world leaders to offer their support.

Shortly after 1.30am UK time, the US president tweeted: "Spoke to UK Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well."

Counter-terror detectives will continue searching for clues to how an armed attacker brought destruction to London.

Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Wednesday night, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Rowley, the Met's senior anti-terror officer, said police believe the suspect was "inspired by international terrorism", and they believe they know who he was.

The attack has further delayed the Queen's planned visit to the new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the decision had been taken to postpone the engagement in light of the attack.