London attack: Khalid Masood told hotel workers 'London isn't what it used to be' before driving to capital

The man behind the London terror attack told staff at a hotel in Brighton “London isn’t what it used to be” hours before he carried Wednesday’s Westminster terror attack.

Khalid Masood, 52, spent his final night at a budget hotel in Brighton, telling workers “I’m off to London today” before checking out on Wednesday morning, the Sun reported.

He appeared “nice and polite”, according to witnesses.

Police swooped on room 228 of the Preston Park Hotel, which costs £59 a night, on Wednesday after discovering a receipt in Masood's Hyundai – the same car he used to mow down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.

It is thought Masood had spent a number of days at the hotel over the last week.

A source told The Sun: “No one knows why he came. He used a credit card with the name Masood to check in on Tuesday at 11.30am.

“Police traced him to the hotel because he got a receipt and left it in the car. It was definitely the car he used in the attack because that was parked in the car park when he stayed here. It was a hire car.

“He was very English but mixed race with a big beard.

“He said he lived above a guitar shop in Birmingham but he’s not originally from the Midlands and had a London accent. But he said London wasn’t like what it used to be. Police told us later it was definitely the Westminster attacker.”

It is believed Masood also stayed at the hotel on Friday night, but left the following morning before returning on Tuesday for one more night.

"Everyone says he was nice and polite and acted totally normal," the source added.

Masood, born Adrian Russell Ajao in Kent, killed four people - PC Keith Palmer, American Kurt Cochran, Spaniard Aysha Frade and a 75-year-old man - in the attack and injured dozens more.

He was reportedly also known as Adrian Elms, and is believed to have been an English teacher and father-of-three.