Boris Johnson vows to ‘hunt down’ terrorists behind new London Bridge attack after a knifeman carrying a fake suicide belt is shot dead by police after stabbing five people
- The Prime Minister rushed back to Westminster from his Uxbridge constituency
- Spokesman said he would be receiving ‘further updates’ on unfolding incident
- UK’s terrorism threat level downgraded to ‘substantial’ from ‘severe’ weeks ago
Boris Johnson tonight vowed that anyone involved in the latest terror attack to strike London Bridge would be ‘hunted down and brought to justice’.
The Prime Minister spoke out after a knifeman was shot dead by armed police in the beating heart of the capital after wounding five people this afternoon.
Speaking in Number 10 after he interrupted his election campaign and rushed to Downing Street, he said: ‘I can assure you and assure everyone that anyone involved in this crime and these attacks will be hunted down and brought to justice.’
He added that the UK would ‘never be cowed or divided or intimidated by this sort of attack and our British values will prevail’.
The Prime Minister was in his Uxbridge constituency when the attack happened.
Police revealed tonight that the man killed was wearing a hoax bomb strapped to his body.
At the start of November the UK’s terrorism threat level was downgraded to ‘substantial’ from ‘severe’, meaning an attack was now ‘likely’ rather than ‘highly likely’.
The decision is taken independent of ministers by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Committee (JTAC).
Mr Johnson said there would be meetings and consultations inside Number 10 as the evening goes on, but that ‘to the best of our knowledge the incident has been contained’.
He said he would be ‘reviewing the matter in the course of the next few hours’ as to whether General Election campaigning would continue as normal.
Armed police shot a man on London Bridge today in an incident Scotland Yard is treating as ‘terror-related’.
Mr Johnson at a press conference earlier today. He had gone campaigning in Uxbridge afterwards but s now heading for Downing Street
There are five levels of terror threat, with the highest being ‘critical’ – meaning that an attack is highly likely and will come in the near future.
After dropping from the second-highest tier, severe, the UK is now on the third rung of danger.
Earlier the Prime Minister had tweeted: ‘I’m being kept updated on the incident at London Bridge and want to thank the police and all emergency services for their immediate response.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel added she was ‘very concerned’, saying: ‘Very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge.
‘My thoughts are with all affected. I am grateful for the rapid response of our police and I urge everyone to follow their advice.’
Home Secretary Priti Patel added she was ‘very concerned’, saying: ‘Very concerned by ongoing incident at London Bridge.
Dramatic video filmed at London Bridge around 2pm this afternoon shows at least four people struggling with a man on the ground before armed police officers step in.
The officers tell the people on top of the suspect to move away, before dragging the last bystander to safety and opening fire. One of the bystanders is holding a knife which seems to have been taken from the suspect.
The suspect lies wounded on the ground, but still moving as officers back away – clearly fearing that they are still in danger, potentially from explosives.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn tweeted: ‘Shocking reports from London Bridge.
‘My thoughts are with those caught up in the incident. Thank you to the police and emergency services who are responding.’
And London mayor Sadiq Khan added: ‘We must – and we will – stay resolute in our determination to stand strong and united in the face of terror.’