This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/mar/23/westminster-attack-police-arrest-seven-people-in-raids-at-six-addresses

The article has changed 17 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 13 Version 14
Westminster attacker named by police as Khalid Masood Westminster attacker named by police as Khalid Masood
(about 5 hours later)
The attacker behind the terrorist rampage at the gates of the Houses of Parliament has been named by police as Khalid Masood, 52, who was born in Kent and had previously been convicted of violent offences. A 52-year-old ex-convict from Birmingham was named on Thursday as the man who carried out the terrorist attack on Westminster in which he and four other people died, while eight others were arrested as police hunted for evidence of a wider conspiracy.
The assailant, who was shot dead on Wednesday as he attacked police officers in the shadow of Big Ben, had been known to MI5 but was considered to be a peripheral figure and had fallen from the intelligence picture. Khalid Masood, a man who had used a string of aliases, was described by police as a criminal with a 20-year record of offending, who had once been investigated for extremism but was assessed as posing a low risk.
The Metropolitan police said Masood had previous convictions for a number of violent offences, including grievous bodily harm and assault, but had never been found guilty of terror offences. His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last was in December 2003 for possession of a knife, police said. It was being reported that Masood’s birth name was Adrian Elms and that he had converted to Islam.
They added that he was known by a number of aliases and had most recently been living in the West Midlands. Theresa May told MPs Masood had been previously known to MI5: “Some years ago, he was once investigated in relation to concerns about violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. The case is historic – he was not part of the current intelligence picture.”
The Met’s head of counter-terrorism, Mark Rowley, said a woman in her mid-40s and a man in his mid-50s were among those killed in the attack, as well as PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father. Amber Rudd, the home secretary, later added that Masood had spent time in jail, but not for terrorist offences, while the Metropolitan police said “Masood” was in all likelihood not his birth name.
The woman who died was Aysha Frade, 43, mother of two, who worked as a teacher in London, and had family in the north-western Spanish town of Betanzos in Galicia. The names of two people who died after Masood mowed them down on Westminster Bridge also emerged.
Kurt Cochran, an American tourist from Utah, was named as the male victim of the attack. His wife Melissa was still in hospital, according to her sister in a public post on Facebook. They were Kurt Cochran, 54, a US tourist from Utah celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary, and British-born Aysha Frade, 43, who worked at sixth-form college and had been walking over the bridge to pick up her daughters from school.
Among the 29 people treated for injuries at hospital were 12 Britons, three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Chinese national, one Irish national, one Italian, one American and two Greeks. In the frenzied attack on Wednesday, Masood also stabbed to death PC Keith Palmer, a 48-year-old husband and father.
On Thursday evening, six people were still being treated at King’s College hospital. Four of those were said to be in stable condition and two critical. It is believed a police officer injured in the attack remains in critical condition. Police said on Thursday night that a 75-year-old male victim had died in hospital. His death brought the total fatalities to five – the attacker, policeman Palmer and three civilians.
May said: “The man was British-born and some years ago was once investigated by MI5 in relation to concerns of violent extremism. He was a peripheral figure. His case was historic. He was not part of the current intelligence picture.” The prime minister said Palmer was “every inch a hero and his actions will never be forgotten”, while a crowdfunding appeal for his family raised more than £250,000 within hours.
The police and security services monitor about 3,000 Britons, mainly Islamists, whom they regard as potentially capable of domestic terrorism. Of these, about 500 are the subject of active investigations and only a limited number become the targets of physical surveillance. The Guardian understands the attacker was not one of them. He was regarded as posing so little threat that he did not even make the list of 3,000. The attack was stopped when armed officers assigned to protect the defence secretary, Michael Fallon, shot Masood, who is believed to have been intent on entering parliament. Palmer died at New Palace Yard on the edge of the parliamentary estate, near Parliament Square, raising questions about security for legislators.
“It is still our belief, which continues to be borne out by our investigation, that this attacker acted alone and was inspired by international terrorism,” Rowley said. Four people remained in hospital on Thursday night in serious condition, one with life-threatening injuries.
Amaq, the news agency used by Isis to broadcast propaganda, issued a statement claiming that the group was responsible for the attack, describing the attacker as a soldier of Islamic State. The claim cannot be verified at this stage. The original incident, in which Masood drove a Hyundai Tucson 4x4 into crowds at one of London’s busiest tourist spots, left 40 people injured, 29 of whom were taken to hospital.
Armed police arrested eight people during late-night raids across the country, including in Birmingham and London. As officers attempt to piece together details of the attacker’s background and motives, armed police raided six addresses, including a second-floor flat above a row of shops on Hagley Road in Birmingham. In an emergency statement to the Commons, May said people from around the world had been caught up in the attack. “In addition to 12 Britons admitted to hospital, we know the victims include three French children, two Romanians, four South Koreans, one German, one Pole, one Irish, one Chinese, one Italian, one American and two Greeks,” she said.
Witnesses to the search said they believed three men were arrested and one of the flat’s windows was covered in cardboard, with non-uniformed officers spotted taking pieces of equipment into the property. She also sounded a note of defiance, telling MPs: “Today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism.”
The Hyundai Tucson used in the attack was rented from an Enterprise branch on Springhill Passage in Birmingham, one mile from the property raided in Hagley Road. May’s spokesman said she had received phone calls from world leaders including Angela Merkel, François Hollande and Donald Trump, offering their condolences and support, and had herself signed a book of condolence in parliament. She later visited the injured in hospital.
Police officers were searching a second address in the city, in Quayside, Winson Green. Police vans arrived at the property at about 1am, neighbours said, and uniformed officers were seen entering the flat. Thousands of people gathered in Trafalgar Square at a vigil to commemorate the victims of the attack. London’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the event was to honour the dead but also “to send a clear, clear, message – Londoners will never be cowed by terrorism”.
A spokesperson for Enterprise Holdings said: “We can confirm that the car used in the tragic attack in London yesterday afternoon was one of ours. An employee identified the vehicle after seeing the licence plate in an image online. We ran another check to verify and immediately contacted the authorities.” Police said Masood had been inspired by Islamic State. But he hid his extremism from his neighbours, coming across as a keen gardener and family man.
West Midlands police confirmed arrests were made at the addresses raided in Birmingham. A statement from the force said the arrests and searches were intelligence-led and there was no immediate risk to public safety. Extra officers would be out on patrol throughout the next few days in the city, the force said. The domestic intelligence service will face questions over why Masood dropped off the radar after being investigated in relation to concerns over violent extremism.
Rowley said addresses were also searched in London and other parts of the country. An MI5 team has been set up to see what lessons can be learned from the case and to look at the decision to not put him under surveillance. The police and security services monitor an estimated 3,000 Britons, mainly Islamists, regarded as capable of terrorism, but it emerged he was not on this list.
Cressida Dick, the incoming Met commissioner, Craig Mackey, the acting commissioner, and other officers held a minute’s silence on Thursday morning in front of the “eternal flame” alight outside New Scotland Yard on Victoria Embankment, within sight of Westminster Bridge. Isis claimed responsibilty for the attack, although the claim could not be verified. Amaq, the news agency it uses to broadcast propaganda, issued a statement describing the attacker as a soldier of Islamic State, without naming him.
The force’s new headquarters was due to be formally opened by the Queen on Thursday but the ceremony was cancelled. In a message to Mackey, the Queen said that she and Prince Philip had not been able to open the building for “very understandable reasons”. Police revealed that Masood, born in Kent on Christmas Day 1964, had a string of criminal convictions. In a statement, the Met said: “He was known to police and has a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.
The message continued: “My thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathy are with all those who have been affected by yesterday’s awful violence. I know I speak for everyone in expressing my enduring thanks and admiration for the members of the Metropolitan police service and all who work so selflessly to help and protect others.” “His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.”
As a mark of respect, Palmer’s shoulder number – 4157U – will be retired and not reissued to any other officer, the Met said. The investigation is being led by SO15, Scotland Yard’s counter-terrorism command. Police staged raids across Birmingham, including Masood’s recent home in Winson Green, and at properties in London, Carmarthenshire and Brighton.
Palmer’s family said in a statement released through the Met: “Keith will be remembered as a wonderful dad and husband. A loving son, brother and uncle. A long-time supporter of Charlton FC. Neighbour Iwona Romek said Masood was a keen gardener, who lived in the modern mews house with his wife and young child. Romek, 45, said her experience of him was of a “nice man”.
“Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much. His friends and family are shocked and devastated by his loss and ask that they are left to grieve alone in peace.” She said the family had moved out suddenly in December 2016 and added: “I used to see him outside doing his garden. Never any trouble.”
It is believed that Masood rented the Hyundai car that he turned into a weapon of terror from the depot of a car hire firm, Enterprise, in Spring Hill, Birmingham.
Police still believe the attack was carried out by Masood alone, but are looking into whether others helped him. The eight arrests were all on suspicion of acts of preparation of a terrorist act, a key indication that police are investigating the possibility of a wider conspiracy.
A 39-year-old woman was arrested in east London, while two women aged 26 and 21 were detained in Birmingham. Five men aged 23, 26, 27, 28 and 58 were arrested in Birmingham.
PC Palmer’s family released a statement paying tribute to the police officer, who had a five-year-old daughter. They said: “Dedicated to his job and proud to be a police officer, brave and courageous. A friend to everyone who knew him. He will be deeply missed. We love him so much.”
As a mark of respect, Palmer’s shoulder number – 4157U – is to be retired and not reissued to any other officer, Scotland Yard said.
The Met has put extra officers on the streets and has extended the shifts they work from eight to 12 hours, until further notice. Forces outside London are also increasing their presence on the streets, to provide reassurance and to deter not only any further Islamist attacks but hate crimes against Muslims.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission began an investigation into the shooting of the suspect, which is mandated by law.