Westminster terror attack: Leader's statement

“I would like to express our deepest condolences to those who lost a loved one in the Westminster attack, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those affected.

“It is at times like this that we truly appreciate and admire our police colleagues, who put themselves in front of danger on a daily basis, to protect us. I cannot express enough our gratitude to the police for their constant and dedicated service to keep us all safe.

“I would urge residents not to let this incident sow the seeds of division within our communities. It’s more important now than ever to come together and show those who try to incite fear that we are united and stand strong. We must go about our daily lives as normal while remaining alert to any suspicious activity, which should be reported immediately.

“We continue to work with the police and other agencies to ensure that we are vigilant to any dangers and as prepared as we can be.”

The threat from terrorism remains at severe in the UK, and has done so since August 2014. 

However, vigilant behaviour by the public has been known to disrupt an attack in its planning stages. We would ask the public to continue to be attentive.

Police advice is: if you suspect it, report it by contacting police directly on 999 or the anti-terrorism hotline on 0800 789 321.