Westminster Terror Attack

A terrorist attack has taken place in London, England near the Houses of Parliament and Westminster bridge. Several people have been injured.  At least four fatalities and 20 catastrophic injuries.

Just a quick update as I have had a few people message asking me if I am ok.  I was actually in that area this morning but was a few miles away at the time of the attack. It’s actually an area I visit very often indeed so I know it all off by heart.

Anti-Terrorists barriers
As you can see, large area of Parliament already have anti-terrorist protection against vehicles but I guess they can’t go everywhere or else no-one could cross the roads.

According to the latest reports at 2.40pm, approximately a 20 victims were struck by a small 4*4 SUV four wheel drive vehicle on Westminster Bridge near the Houses of Parliament.  The victims were intentionally “mowed down” whilst walking on the pavement with one lady ending up badly injured in the River Thames.  The vehicle then crashed into the heavy cast iron railings to the side of Parliament  and a knife-wielding suspect exited the vehicle and stabbed up to three police officers, one of whom has now sadly died.

 

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Out of respect to the victims, I won’t put any photos up of the injured but the suspected terrorist is below.  After being warned by undercover police to stop, he continued his attack and was shot 3 times.

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Here, seconds after the attack, the gunshots can be heard… fired just next to the tree behind the railings.

 

It is now reported that the terrorist has died after several hours of emergency medical treatment.

Parliament was locked down and the surrounding buildings and area are still behind Police cordons, 6 hours later,  after rumours of a possible secondary attacker in the vehicle.

It’s a reminder of the tremendous brave job that the police do every day of the year.

 

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By Stephen Liddell

I am a writer and traveller with a penchant for history and getting off the beaten track. With several books to my name including several #1 sellers. I also write environmental, travel and history articles for magazines as well as freelance work. I run my private tours company with one tour stated by the leading travel website as being with the #1 authentic London Experience. Recently I've appeared on BBC Radio and Bloomberg TV and am waiting on the filming of a ghost story on British TV. I run my own private UK tours company (Ye Olde England Tours) with small, private and totally customisable guided tours run by myself!

26 comments

  1. How do you seem to know the identity f the attacker when nobody else seems to? he did stab a policeman who subsequently died – which is missed in your outline above

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  6. Very sad. You have to wonder what these people hope to achieve really. Glad you are ok. The worst thing that people can do is change their behaviours in response I suppose. I just hope (I don’t think we will) that the UK doesn’t start buying in to all of the negative rhetoric we hear from numerous parties and countries at present. Crazy times we live in. These kind of attacks demonstrate the very lowest form of cowardly behaviour…

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    1. Yes I wonder that too. Anyone who knows the country at all must know it is the last one that would ever change its policy due to terrorism. I think if The Blitz and decades of IRA bombings didn’t do much then one or even several crazed individuals won’t achieve anything except for killing people for no good reason. All the British media seem to be behaving well as should be expected but I’m surprised (well not surprised) at some foreign media experts… well from one particular Trump type country that don’t seem to understand things at all and only want to hype up hatred, divisions and fear where I don’t see any at all. I went to London again today, my only fear was whether I should get my hair wet or put the hood up in the showers and mess it up that way!

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  7. Every time something like this happens, we are reminded that we, in the free world, have such a precious privilege to live in free countries. I’m glad you posted Winston Churchill’s statement for the misguided need to read this over and over…for it is true. We will never give up our freedom…freedom to live and speak as we wish…to agree and disagree without fear that we will be beheaded or murdered by our own people for our way of life. It is a fanaticism that will not heed to reason because they do not know freedom to believe as one wishes, sad to say.

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    1. Hi Nancy, I think you left a comment on my blog a few weeks ago and I may not have replied so I’m sorry if that is the case but a lot of things were happening then if I remember. I agree entirely and I’m so glad that this morning Parliament opened as usual and every day people were allowed in to see democracy in action like they always have done. Yes, freedom is our ideology or even fanaticism and it is something people have cherished for far longer than any rogue barbaric sects. To the unfortunate few involved, it is such a terrible and pointless tragedy but in the big scheme of things it is really a pinprick in our long history. They might think they are destroying our civilisation but it is so inconsequential. Seeing the photos of everyone of all colours on the Tube this morning just reading papers and drinking tea just shows how out of touch terrorists are. They are nothing, freedom and love is everything. If something can only be reached through terror and violence then it really can’t be very good at all and no wonder we will never give up just for that.

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    1. Yes it is. I just can’t understand why anyone would believe their religion really asked them to die as logically speaking if everyone did that, then that religion would itself disappear. As with most of the current terrorists though, it’s fair to say I am more Muslim than them.

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