Hero MP tells of traumatic moment he returned home to his son, 8, and told him ‘bad people do bad things’ after battling to save life of policeman stabbed in Westminster terror attack
- Tobias Ellwood has spoken of trauma after battling to help stabbed policeman
- Minister is launching strategy to improve mental health of armed forces veterans
- Said one of the hardest parts was explaining attack to his eight-year-old son
The photograph of Tobias Ellwood smeared in blood after vainly battling to help Pc Palmer became one of the defining images of the attack in March
A minister who desperately battled to save the policeman stabbed in the Westminster terror attack has spoken of his trauma.
Tobias Ellwood broke down in tears as he described his ‘vivid memories’ of attempting to help Pc Keith Palmer by giving him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and performing heart massage.
And the Tory MP said one of the hardest parts of the experience was coming home and having to explain to his eight-year-old son that there were ‘bad people’ in the world.
The defence minister opened up about the impact of the deadly episode as he launched a six-year strategy to improve the mental health and well-being of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families.
The photograph of Mr Ellwood smeared in blood in the shadow of parliament became one of the defining images of the attack in March.
Khalid Masood mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and stabbed Mr Palmer at the gates of parliament before being shot dead.
An emotional Mr Ellwood told The Daily Telegraph: ‘The hardest thing, as well as stepping through with others to try and save PC Keith Palmer’s life, was coming home and finding my eight-year-old boy on top of the stairs having refused to go to bed.
‘It was 10 o’clock at night and he was really confused. He couldn’t understand why a bad person would do what he did and he also couldn’t quite understand why I had then stepped forward in the way that I did.
‘I had to explain to him that there are some bad people in this world.
‘There are bad people doing bad things, but there are more good people doing good things, and that’s why we stand up to events such as this.’
Mr Ellwood urged war veterans not to ‘bottle it up’ and seek help for mental health issues.
He said he wanted to challenge the stigma that prevents people saying ‘actually I’m affected by this, or I’m troubled by that’.
Mr Ellwood, pictured struggling to help Pc Palmer in March, urged war veterans not to ‘bottle it up’ and seek help for mental health issues
Pc Palmer, left, died in the terror attack in March. Right: Mr Ellwood inspects floral tributes left to the policeman in the wake of the atrocity
The strategy includes ‘decompression’ time for military personnel after being on operations, and specific training for GPS about dealing with veterans’ issues.
There are concerns that soldiers affected by their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan are falling through gaps in NHS treatment.
Mr Ellwood backed the creation of a veterans’ board within Whitehall.
‘What I went through is something but we shouldn’t forget that there are many people who have seen much worse and continue to be affected by it,’ he added.
‘That’s why it is so important for us to have the mental health strategy that we need – a veterans support package that is understood and a covenant that obliges councils, businesses and communities to recognise the sacrifice that individuals have given.’
Mr Ellwood praised Prince Harry, who has revealed that had counselling to come to terms with the death of Princess Diana.
Mr Ellwood was praised by Theresa May in the Commons for his efforts in the wake of the attack in March