Yahoo News Whitehall incident: what do we know so far?
A suspected jihadist with carrying a rucksack packed with knives was arrested in Westminster after police were reportedly tipped off by his family.
The 27-year-old man, who has not yet been named, was arrested under the Terrorism Act - just yards from the scene of last month's Westminster attack.
The suspected terrorist was heading towards Downing Street when he was dramatically arrested by armed police, security sources have told The Telegraph.
The ‘lone wolf’ suspect had been under close surveillance when counter-terrorism officers ordered his immediate detention as he came within 300 yards of the gates of the Prime Minister’s residence.
It is understood that the suspect’s family had become concerned about his behaviour and reported him to the authorities several weeks ago. Investigators believe he was about to launch an attack.
No one was injured during the incident but eye witnesses described a struggle between the 27-year-old and police as armed officers and plain clothes police surrounded the area at around 2.30pm.
A security source told Reuters that the man, from London, was known to counter-terrorism officers and MI5 before his arrest.
Scotland Yard said the arrest occurred as part of an "ongoing operation" by detectives from Counter-Terror Command and the investigation is still continuing.
Three knives and a rucksack were seen on the ground following the arrest.
Here is what we know so far.
Family reportedly 'tipped off' police
Parliament staff were told by security sources that the man's family tipped off police, Sky News' Chief Political Correspondent Jon Craig reported.
Staff in Parliament told by sec sources police were tipped off about man arrested in Whitehall by his family, which probably saved his life.
— joncraigSKY (@joncraig) April 27, 2017
It is understood that the suspect’s family had become concerned about his behaviour and reported him to the authorities several weeks ago. Investigators believe he was about to launch an attack.
The weapons retrieved
A number of knives were seen spilling out of the suspect's backpack. One appeared to be a large kitchen knife and another a flick-knife.
Forensic police were seen inspecting them.
Two police forensic officers, wearing crime scene suits, combed through the evidence. They took photographs of the contents of the bag, before taking them away for further examination.
Several knives and what looked like paper or tissue were all put into a separate bag or box. When it came to the brown rucksack lying on the floor, the officer opened it ‘gingerly’.
It is not clear if police knew he was carrying weapons when the decision was made to stop him.
What did the police have to say?
Scotland Yard said:
A man has been arrested in Whitehall this afternoon, at approximately 14:22, following a stop and search as part of an ongoing operation.
The man was arrested in Parliament Street, junction with Parliament Square, by armed officers from the Met’s Specialist Firearms Command.
The man, aged in his late twenties, was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon and on suspicion of the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism. Knives have been recovered from him.
He is being detained under the Terrorism Act and is in custody in a south London police station.
Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command are continuing their investigation, and as a result of this arrest there is no immediate known threat.
Who is the suspect?
The 27-year-old man, dressed head to toe in black, was walking among a crowd of tourists and workers in Parliament Street when he was wrestled to the ground by armed police officers.
Photographs taken during and after the dramatic arrest showed a bearded man, possibly of Asian or east African origin with cropped black hair, held at the scene for at least ten minutes. In one image, he appeared to be smirking for the camera.
One of his hands appeared to be wrapped up in a bandage as four officers stood next to him.
A Whitehall source told The Telegraph that the man, who is understood to have been born overseas but who lives in south east London, had been arrested as part on an “intelligence-led operation”. he had been followed on the Underground and is thought to have surfaced at St James’s park tube station before heading towards Westminster.
The source said: “He was under surveillance and he was stopped while walking away from Parliament Square and up Whitehall towards Downing Street.”
A senior policing source said: “This is someone who was known and under surveillance. He was being watched very closely. He had been travelling on the London Underground and we understand he had exited the Tube at St James’s Park station before walking in the direction of Whitehall and Number 10.
“At some stage an alert went out to all the teams in the area and the order was made to pick him up.”
What does Theresa May have to say?
Prime Minister Theresa May was on a tour of a factory in Chesterfield at the time and praised the police and security services for preventing another terrorist strike at the heart of British power.
Mrs May said: “It shows that our police and intelligence and security services are on the alert, as they always are, looking to keep us safe and secure.
“We owe a huge debt of gratitude to these people, many of whom are unseen, unheard, yet the job they do day in, day out to keep us secure is a really important one and we should thank them for it.”
A spokesman for London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Mr Khan is hugely grateful to the police for their swift, decisive and professional actions. He is hugely relieved there have been no casualties.”
