A NUMBER of people have been injured and a man arrested after a car crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.

Streets around Parliament Square, Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens have been cordoned off as dozens of armed police swooped on the scene.

Ambulances and firefighters are also responding to the incident in central London.

Cyclists were hit in the crash and London Ambulance Service told the BBC it had taken two patients to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

The incident happened at 07:37, prompting a major police response.

Scotland Yard's counter-terrorism unit is leading the investigation.

People have been moved further back from the area twice as police put up a Terrorism Act cordon

Eyewitness Ewalina Ochab told the Press Association: “I think it looked intentional - the car drove at speed and towards the barriers.

“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."


“The person driving did not go out” of the vehicle, she said.


The vehicle did not appear to have a front registration plate when it crashed, she added.

Euronews/NBC UK correspondent Vincent McAviney tweeted a video of the incident as it unfolded.

A Scotland Yard spokesman 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."

Scotland Yard could not immediately comment on whether the terror suspect's car was being followed.


A meeting of the Government's emergency cobra committee will be held at 2pm.


The London Ambulance Service has added that a third patient with "minor injuries" was treated at the scene.


A spokesman said the two people taken to hospital had "non-life threatening" injuries.


In a statement on the attack, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said "all Londoners, like me, utterly condemn all acts of terrorism on our city".


"The response of Londoners today shows that we will never be cowed, intimidated or divided by any terrorist attack," he said.


He added: "I have been and will continue to be in close touch with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Transport for London and the other emergency services. My heartfelt thanks goes to the brave first responders who were so quickly on the scene following the attack."


Mr Khan urged members of the public to "remain calm and vigilant", and report any information about the incident to the Metropolitan Police.


This afternoon's Cobra session will be a meeting of officials, with no cabinet ministers expected to attend at the moment, No 10 said.


Prime Minister Theresa May is currently away in Switzerland on the second leg of her summer holiday.


Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: "My thoughts are with those hurt and injured outside Parliament this morning in what is being treated as a terrorist incident.


"Our thanks go to our emergency services who responded immediately. Their bravery keeps us safe day in, day out."


St Thomas' Hospital is treating one patient for "non-life threatening" injuries following the suspected terror attack, a statement from the NHS foundation said.


Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said: "One patient is being treated for non-life threatening injuries at St Thomas' Hospital following this morning's incident in Westminster."


Vince Cable, leader of the Liberal Democrats, tweeted: "Our thoughts are with those who have been injured in the incident outside the Houses of Parliament this morning, and our thanks go out to the quick and effective response of our police and medical services.


"Thank goodness the barriers are in place and worked."


The last emergency service vehicle stationed within the cordon on Millbank between College Green and Lambeth Bridge has left.


A police patrol car remains in place by the roundabout where dozens of reporters, photographers and broadcast crews remain.


Mr Basu added that the suspect was not co-operating with police and had not yet been formally identified.


But on the basis of the information known so far, "we don't believe this person is known to either MI5 or counter terrorism police," he added.


The patient being treated at St Thomas' Hospital was discharged by midday, a Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust spokesman said.


After footage emerged appearing to show police vehicles behind the suspect's silver Ford Fiesta, Mr Basu said: "There was not a police car in pursuit of the vehicle."


Geoffrey Woodman, a strategy consultant from Battersea, had stopped at the traffic lights by Parliament Square on his cycle to work when the car swerved into cyclists and towards the security barriers.


"I was getting off the bike and put my foot down, then there was a sound like tyres screeching. This car turned round to the left and swerved into the wrong lane of traffic and into the bank where all the cyclists wait."


He said most people managed to jump off their bikes to safety but one woman who "seemed in some distress" was clipped by the bonnet of the car as it passed.


"It went through everyone and turned round, continuing down the next 50 metres before turning into the lay-by where taxis pick up politicians, smashing into the barrier."


Mr Woodman said paramedics from a passing ambulance, captured on camera passing behind the car, stopped to help the cyclists and armed police arrived on the scene "within 10 seconds".


"They reacted really quickly and the area felt pretty secure. I'd say their response was outstanding," he added.


Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood, who was branded a hero after stepping in to help emergency services in the wake of the 2017 attack outside Parliament, said today's incident was a "stark reminder of the threats we continue to face, the need to remain vigilant and the professionalism of @metpoliceuk in once again swiftly and courageously responding to what looks like a crude and deliberate attack on Parliament".

The Houses of Parliament are surrounded with security barriers of steel and concrete.

The measures were extended in the wake of the Westminster Bridge attack in March 2017 when Khalid Masood ploughed a car into crowds on Westminster Bridge, killing four people.

Masood abandoned his car then stabbed and killed unarmed Pc Keith Palmer before he was shot by armed police in a courtyard outside Parliament.