Salih Khater named as Westminster suspect

The 29-year-old British citizen being held on suspicion of terrorism after the Westminster car crash has been named as Salih Khater.

Government sources have revealed that the suspect, originally from Sudan, is not believed to have been known to MI5 or counter-terrorism police, but may have been known to local police. Khater has been reported as not cooperating with police.

Khater drove a silver Ford Fiesta into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament just after 7:30 on 14 August, leaving two people needing hospital treatment, while a third was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police have since confirmed that they are searching three addresses in the Midlands.

Scotland Yard's head of counter terrorism Neil Basu said: "Given that this appears to be a deliberate act, the method and this being an iconic site, we are treating it as a terrorist incident."

Home Secretary Sajid Javid said of the attack: “I have received a briefing on the incident from the Head of Counter-Terrorism Policing and the Security Services. Obviously it is a live investigation and there is a limit to what I can say at this point, but we must give the police the time they need to do their work and they will be providing regular updates.

“And lastly, I would also like to thank the people of London. This is not the first time we have seen an incident of this type on the streets. I would like to thank them for their resolve and the resilience they have shown - and determination to make sure that those who seek to exploit these types of incident will not be allowed to divide us.”