The family of a man arrested in connection with the Houses of Parliament suspected terror attack have spoken of their shock at the incident.
Government sources named the suspect as 29-year-old Salih Khater, a British citizen who came to the UK from Sudan as a refugee in 2010, and was granted asylum.
Three people were hurt after a silver Ford Fiesta rammed into cyclists and pedestrians close to the Houses of Parliament during Tuesday morning’s rush hour.
According to the BBC, the arrested man’s brother, Abdullah Khater said his family was in “a state of shock”. He added that his brother is a “normal person” who had no links to any religious group or fanatical ideas.
The suspect is said to have told friends that he was planning to drive to London to collect a visa for a return visit to Sudan.
He is not thought to have been known to MI5 or counter-terrorism police. Scotland Yard said he had not co-operated with officers following his arrest and the motive behind the incident remains unclear.
A man and a woman were taken to hospital and later discharged following the incident, while another man was treated for minor injuries at the scene.
One cyclist caught up in the incident, yesterday told how he attempted to chase down the vehicle after it rammed into cyclists a few feet from where he was waiting.
Robert Nicholson said broken bikes and injured cyclists were left lying in the vehicles wake, as the silver hatchback continued on its path towards the Houses of Parliament.
“My immediate reaction was I wasn't hit. So I jumped off my bike and ran after him,” he said.
“He obviously carried on, swerved into the lane for the Houses of Parliament, crashed into the barrier. When armed police yelled 'clear out, get out the way' I realised it was a little more serious."
Up to 15 cyclists were waiting in a safe box on the road near the Houses of Parliament when the incident unfolded at around 7.40am.
Mr Nicholson told how the vehicle ploughed into a woman cyclist and hit her “full on” before launched her across its bonnet, leaving her motionless on the ground.
"She'd kind of flown up onto the bonnet,” he added. “Very luckily she had a helmet on, so that probably reduced any head injuries she had. She was lying stationary in the middle of the road.”
He said paramedics from a passing ambulance were on the scene within seconds.
Mr Nicholson said he gave chase, without being fully aware of what he might be able to do.
However, he brushed off the incident, and said he had already “compartmentalised” it. He added: “As a cyclist you probably get a little bit used to that anyway, of just the odd near miss and stuff like that happening in London.”
British Transport Police has confirmed it is increasing patrols in England, Scotland and Wales, and that its officers would be "highly visible on trains and at stations".
Police yesterday carried out searches in properties in Birmingham, where Mr Khater, a former Coventry University accountancy student, is believed to have lived, and in Nottingham.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said he is favour of further security measures being introduced in Parliament Square and around London.
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