A man has been arrested after a number of pedestrians were injured when a car crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament, Scotland Yard said.

The area is in lockdown after armed police swarmed the scene on Tuesday morning.

Westminster car crash
Picture taken with permission from the Twitter feed of Ewelina U Ochab of the car (right) which crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament

Images posted to social media showed a male suspect, wearing a black puffer jacket, surrounded by officers, being led away in handcuffs from a silver-coloured Ford.

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

She continued: “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.”

She said the vehicle did not appear to have a front registration plate when it crashed, adding:  “The person driving did not go out.”

Streets around Parliament Square, Millbank and Victoria Tower Gardens have cordoned off while police, ambulances and firefighters arrived at the scene.

POLICE Westminster
(PA Graphics)

Bus driver Victor Ogbomo, 49, was driving passengers past the front of Westminster when he saw the crash.“

All I saw was the smoke coming out of a vehicle, a silver vehicle … I just stopped the bus,” he told the Press Association.

“The police said we have to move back, then in less than five minutes the response team came.

“They went to the vehicle, so we had to push back. I saw the car in the barrier, I didn’t know how it got there.

“I think someone was inside the vehicle because many police went towards the vehicle.”

He said officers had their guns out when they arrested the driver.

The Metropolitan Police said on Twitter: “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.”

More than 10 police vehicles and at least three ambulances remain outside Parliament.

Firearms officers and at least two police dogs are stationed inside Parliament Square.

Officers have cordoned the whole square off and are asking the public and press to move away from the scene.

Scotland Yard said: “At this stage, officers do not believe that anybody is in a life-threatening condition. Cordons are in place to assist the investigation. Westminster Tube station is closed.”

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.