Westminster terror suspect Salih Khater charged with attempted murder of members of public and police officers

car was allegedly driven at officers before slamming into a security barrier outside Parliament last Tuesday.

The incident is being treated as terrorists

Sponsored LinksPolice announced on Saturday that the British national, originally from Sudan, was charged with the attempted murder of members of the public and the attempted s.

Police arrest Khater following the incident last Tuesday

He was first held on a terrorism charge and later additionally arrested for attempted murder.

Scotland Yard had been to court and were granted a warrant to detain him until Monday, giving them further time to quiz him.

The Metropolitan Police's counter-terror head Neil Basu earlier said Khater, from Birmingham, was not co-operating with detectives who were trying to establish a motive.

Mr Basu said the force was treating it as a terrorist incident because of its apparently deliberate nature, the method used and the "iconic" location.

A silver Ford Fiesta hit cyclists and pedestrians across from Parliament, and then continued on before crashing into the barrier just before 7.40am on Tuesday.

The car hit cyclists and pedestrians before crashing into the barrier (Image: PA)

Three people suffered non life-threatening injuries.

Police have said the car was driven from Birmingham to London late on Monday and spent almost five hours in the Tottenham Court Road area before driving around Westminster for more than 90 minutes.

Friends have expressed shock over the arrest of Khater, a former accountancy student at Coventry University.

Khater's now-disabled Facebook says he lives in Birmingham, works as a shop manager, and has studied at Sudan University of Science and Technology.

Anwar Mukhta, who said he has known the suspect for eight years, had earlier claimed the current narrative will be revealed to be a "lie".

Khater, 29, is a British national originally from Sudan (Image: Facebook)

He told ITV News: "It is an accident, it's nothing to do with terrorists, it's nothing to do with any organisation that tried to make an attack to any Government department."

He claimed the "very generous" and "very smiley" man had travelled to London to get a visa to see his family in Sudan.

The suspect's brother, Abdullah Khater, had told the BBC he was a "normal person" and that their family, who are originally from Darfur, were in a "state of shock".

A Met Police spokesperson said: "A 29-year-old man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder today, Saturday, following an incident in Westminster on Tuesday 14 August.

"Salih Khater of Highgate Street, Birmingham, a Sudanese-born UK national, will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with the attempted murder of members of the public and the attempted murder of police officers.

"The charges follow an incident in which Khater drove his car into a stationary group of members of the public then at police officers, before crashing into the barriers outside the House of Parliament.

"Due to the methodology, iconic location and the alleged targeting of civilians and police officers, the CPS are treating this case as terrorism."