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Westminster crash: Salih Khater named as suspect | Westminster crash: Salih Khater named as suspect |
(35 minutes later) | |
The man being held on suspicion of terrorism after the Westminster car crash has been named as Salih Khater by government sources. | The man being held on suspicion of terrorism after the Westminster car crash has been named as Salih Khater by government sources. |
The 29-year-old British citizen, originally from Sudan, is being questioned in south London. | The 29-year-old British citizen, originally from Sudan, is being questioned in south London. |
Police have been searching three addresses in Birmingham and Nottingham as part of their investigation. | Police have been searching three addresses in Birmingham and Nottingham as part of their investigation. |
Three people were injured after the vehicle hit cyclists and pedestrians during Tuesday morning's rush hour. | Three people were injured after the vehicle hit cyclists and pedestrians during Tuesday morning's rush hour. |
The silver Ford Fiesta then crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament just before 07:40 BST. | The silver Ford Fiesta then crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament just before 07:40 BST. |
The suspect is not believed to have been known to MI5 or counter-terrorism police, but is understood to have been known to local police. | The suspect is not believed to have been known to MI5 or counter-terrorism police, but is understood to have been known to local police. |
He did not co-operate with officers after his arrest, Scotland Yard said. | He did not co-operate with officers after his arrest, Scotland Yard said. |
Two people were taken to hospital after the crash and later discharged while a third was treated for minor injuries at the scene. | Two people were taken to hospital after the crash and later discharged while a third was treated for minor injuries at the scene. |
Searches took place at two addresses in Birmingham and a residential property in the Radford and Arboretum area of Nottingham on Tuesday afternoon. | Searches took place at two addresses in Birmingham and a residential property in the Radford and Arboretum area of Nottingham on Tuesday afternoon. |
What else is known about the suspect? | |
Mr Khater is believed to have lived in a first-floor flat in the Sparkbrook area of Birmingham until four months ago, when he moved to the city's Highgate area. | |
Neighbours called him a quiet man who frequently visited an internet cafe and a nearby shisha lounge, both on Stratford Road. | |
Local resident Ahmed Abdi described him as a man who "never spoke to anybody", and added: "I recognised his picture from the news and I was shocked." | |
Mr Khater studied accountancy at Coventry University from September 2017 to May this year, a spokesman for the university said, and is no longer enrolled there. | |
What happened on Tuesday? | What happened on Tuesday? |
A number of witnesses said the car, which was travelling westbound in Parliament Square, appeared to deliberately hit members of the public as it swerved into the opposite lane. | A number of witnesses said the car, which was travelling westbound in Parliament Square, appeared to deliberately hit members of the public as it swerved into the opposite lane. |
Footage released by the BBC showed the moment of the crash. A police officer can be seen jumping over a barrier to get out of the way. | Footage released by the BBC showed the moment of the crash. A police officer can be seen jumping over a barrier to get out of the way. |
A passenger in the first car behind the cyclists said they had been "thrown everywhere" after being hit at what she estimated to be 25mph. | A passenger in the first car behind the cyclists said they had been "thrown everywhere" after being hit at what she estimated to be 25mph. |
The car was driven to London from Birmingham the night before, arriving just after midnight on Tuesday. | The car was driven to London from Birmingham the night before, arriving just after midnight on Tuesday. |
It then spent nearly five hours in the Tottenham Court Road area before being driven around Westminster for more than 90 minutes before the crash. | It then spent nearly five hours in the Tottenham Court Road area before being driven around Westminster for more than 90 minutes before the crash. |
The driver was arrested at the scene by armed officers on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist act. | The driver was arrested at the scene by armed officers on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist act. |
Police have been able to trace the route taken thanks to automatic number plate recognition cameras. | Police have been able to trace the route taken thanks to automatic number plate recognition cameras. |
Mr Khater was detained under the Terrorism Act and taken to a south London police station. Police say their priority is to understand the circumstances of, and motivation for, the crash. | |
No-one else was in the car when it crashed and no weapons were found in it. | No-one else was in the car when it crashed and no weapons were found in it. |
Police are treating it as a terror-related incident "given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method, and this being an iconic site", Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism Neil Basu said. | |
What happens next? | What happens next? |
Britain's most senior police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, said Westminster could be pedestrianised to stop vehicle attacks, calling them terrorists' "weapon of choice". | Britain's most senior police officer, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, said Westminster could be pedestrianised to stop vehicle attacks, calling them terrorists' "weapon of choice". |
She said it was "a matter that will be discussed no doubt between parliamentary authorities, us, the intelligence agencies and indeed the local authorities and the mayor". | She said it was "a matter that will be discussed no doubt between parliamentary authorities, us, the intelligence agencies and indeed the local authorities and the mayor". |
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was also in favour of more security measures being introduced in Parliament Square and around London. | Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was also in favour of more security measures being introduced in Parliament Square and around London. |
"I'm an advocate of part-pedestrianising part of Parliament Square," he told BBC Breakfast. | "I'm an advocate of part-pedestrianising part of Parliament Square," he told BBC Breakfast. |
"Not only would it make Parliament Square more attractive, but there are clever technical ways to make Parliament and pedestrians and visitors safer as well. | "Not only would it make Parliament Square more attractive, but there are clever technical ways to make Parliament and pedestrians and visitors safer as well. |
"There are now very attractive small bollards in place which actually stop vehicles hitting pedestrians or buildings. | "There are now very attractive small bollards in place which actually stop vehicles hitting pedestrians or buildings. |
"We've had temporary solutions over the last 18 months, post Westminster [the attack in March 2017], but I think we need a permanent solution to the fact that we now know terrorists will target pedestrians, will target buildings." | "We've had temporary solutions over the last 18 months, post Westminster [the attack in March 2017], but I think we need a permanent solution to the fact that we now know terrorists will target pedestrians, will target buildings." |
British Transport Police said it was increasing patrols in England, Scotland and Wales and that its officers would be "highly visible on trains and at stations". | |
But the assistant commissioner added there was "no intelligence at this time of further danger" to London or the UK as a whole. | |
The prime minister's spokesman said, as of the end of June 2018, there were 676 live investigations into potential terrorist plots. | |
Since March 2017, 13 Islamist plots and four far-right plots had been foiled, he added. |