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Footage from the scene of a car crash in Parliament Square shows the moment armed police swarmed the vehicle.
A man has been arrested following the incident, which saw a car plough into the barriers outside the Houses of Parliament , injuring several pedestrians.
Streets around Parliament Square, Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens have been cordoned off as dozens of armed police swarmed on the scene.
In the footage officers can be seen leaping over a metal barrier making their way to the crashed vehicle.
Show all 30 1 /30Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Forensic officers by the car that crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police arrest the man
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Forensic officers work at the scene
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Damaged bikes near the crash site
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police arrest the man who crashed a car into the barriers
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police activity outside the Houses of Parliament after a car crashed into security barriers
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Bicycles lie on the ground at the scene
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament A forensics investigator arrives at the scene
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police and emergency response teams work outside the Houses of Parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament The area is cleared near to the incident
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament A forensics investigator works at the scene
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Armed police on Victoria Embankment
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament A forensic officer attends the scene near the Houses of Parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police officers and a search team secure the roads around the Houses of Parliament as forensic teams continue their work around a vehicle
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police forensics officers outside the Houses of Parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament The car crashed into parliament barriers
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Fire fighters attend the scene
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament A police dog team works behind the cordon
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament olice and emergency services respond
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police on Westminster Bridge
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police respond
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Armed police stand in the street after the incident
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police officers stand at a cordon
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament Police activity on Millbank
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Westminster incident: car crashes into barriers outside parliament
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A statement issued by Scotland Yard said: “At 7.37am today, a car was in collision with barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.
“The male driver of the car was detained by officers at the scene. A number of pedestrians have been injured. Officers remain at the scene.
“We will issue further info when we have it.’’
Several witnesses said the crash looked “deliberate” and one described hearing “screams” as the car veered onto the wrong side of the road and ploughed into cyclists.
Barry Williams, a BBC employee who works nearby, said the vehicle appeared to accelerate “as fast as possible” before crashing into a security barrier outside parliament.
“I think it looked intentional – the car drove at speed and towards the barriers,” one eyewitness, Ewalina Ochab, told the Press Association.
Parliament crash: Footage shows moment man is taken away by police “I was walking on the other side (of the road). I heard some noise and someone screamed. I turned around and I saw a silver car driving very fast close to the railings, maybe even on the pavement.”
She said the vehicle did not appear to have a front registration plate when it crashed, adding: “The person driving did not go out.”
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