Parliament puts on a show of stoic defiance when MPs attempt to go about their daily duties, less than 24 hours after a terror attack brought death and destruction to the heart of London.

Both the House of Commons and the House of Lords will sit at their normal times on Thursday, despite Westminster playing unwilling host to the massacre the previous day.

PC Keith Palmer, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad, was killed as he tried to stop the attacker at around 2.30pm on Wednesday, while three members of the public were also fatally injured.

The suspect, who was armed with two knives, injured around 40 others as he mowed down pedestrians with a car on Westminster Bridge before crashing at the gates in front of Parliament and stabbing the policeman before being shot dead by armed officers.

This afternoon Scotland Yard named the attacker as Khalid Masood, 52, who was born in Kent.

West Yorkshire Police have offered their sympathies to the families of those who died, and said they were reviewing security in light of the incident, although there was "no specific information" suggesting an imminent threat to West Yorkshire. The force has said people will see an "enhanced police presence" in the county following the attack.

Armed police have been seen patroling Bradford city centre this morning.

The force also urged communities to come together to support each other.

Kersten England, Bradford Council Chief Executive and Coun Susan Hinchcliffe, Bradford Council Leader, said: “We are shocked by this appalling incident and our thoughts are with the loved ones of the people who died and with those who were injured and their families particular PC Keith Palmer who died while trying to save the lives of others.

"We must also pay tribute to all the emergency services who work tirelessly to protect us all.

“Communities across the country will be shocked and unsettled by this terror attack at the heart of our democracy in London. It is a time for communities to pull together and be vigilant and for everyone to support their friends, families and neighbours.”

Representatives from Bradford’s different religious groups met with police and Council officials in a “loud and clear” show of solidarity this afternoon.

Lord Mayor of Bradford Councillor Geoff Reid hosted a meeting with police representatives as well as members of the Bradford Council for Mosques, the Church of England, Bradford Synagogue, Muslim Women’s Council and representatives from the Hindu and Sikh communities, and he said Bradford was “united against all forms of extremism.”

Ayub Laher, the President of Council for Mosques, said “Shameful and unnecessary mayhem on streets of our capital. I am truly saddened by this latest terrorist attack. My prayers go to the family and friends of the murdered woman and all others that have suffered injuries.”

Zulfiqar Karim, Secretary General of Council for Mosques said, “This latest bloodshed in the shadow of our parliament is a forceful reminder to all of us that we cannot take our eyes and focus off from this gravest of threats  to our peace and safety. All of us are  at  risk.  None of us feel safe as we do not where the next attack is going to come from and in what form. We have to keep extra diligence to keep the terrorist and extremist in check.”

“In the wake of the Westminster terrorist attack, Council for Mosques will be meeting Police and the Local  Councils  and our MPs to take stock of what has happened and how we may re-inforce our efforts to prevent similar threats to Bradford.”

The Rt Rev Toby Howarth, Bishop of Bradford said: “We pray for those whose lives have been shattered.

“It is also time to praise the extraordinary bravery of PC Keith Palmer and those who did all they could to help others. I would rather focus on them than on the murderer.

“Here in Bradford, we are rightly proud of the city’s resilience in the face of any external threats.

“And I’m confident that neighbours and colleagues are reaching out to support one another now and at any time when we are shaken.

“It’s us together.”

Cllr Reid added: "We are here in the belief that all people of faith and none, and all public services and businesses in Bradford stand together in making the district peaceful, prosperous and united against all forms of extremism.
“Terror’s purpose is to spread hate and division. The first protection against it must be solidarity and after all that we have been through in this city over the years, Bradford is well placed to demonstrate it loudly and clearly.”

The Muslim Women's Council described the attack as "abhorrent" and Bana Gora, CEO, said: “We cannot be held individually or collectively responsible for what others claim to do ‘in the name of Islam’, as this creates a guilt-trip of apologism which suggests Muslims bear guilt for an atrocity which has shaken our humanity to the core, as much as it has shaken those who are not Muslim.

"We must all be vigilant and take precautionary measures to ensure we do not feed into the ‘us’ and ‘them’ narrative. We’d like to emphasise that the media has a responsibility to exercise accurate, balanced reporting. Reactionary reports which vilify Muslims on the basis of their faith or race is precisely the kind of divisiveness that acts of terrorism seek to create.”

Keighley boxer Muhammad Ali was one of many caught up in the incident. He was with other members of GB Boxing in Westminster at the time. The team is due compete against Italia Thunder in the World Series of Boxing tonight at York Hall.

A statement from GB Boxing said: “The boxers and staff have spoken to the police and security forces and are assisting them with their enquiries into the incident."

Theresa May praised the bravery of police officers on Wednesday night as it was announced Westminster would attempt to run as smoothly as normal.

In a statement from Downing Street, the Prime Minister said: "Any attempt to defeat those values through violence and terror is doomed to failure.

"(Thursday) morning, Parliament will meet as normal. We will come together as normal.

"And Londoners - and others from around the world who have come here to visit this great city - will get up and go about their day as normal.

"They will board their trains, they will leave their hotels, they will walk these streets, they will live their lives.

"And we will all move forward together, never giving in to terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart."

Donald Trump was among world leaders quick to offer their support.

Shortly after 1.30am (GMT), the US president tweeted: "Spoke to UK Prime Minister Theresa May today to offer condolences on the terrorist attack in London. She is strong and doing very well."

Meanwhile counter-terror detectives will continue searching for clues about how an armed attacker wrought destruction on London.

Speaking outside Scotland Yard on Wednesday night, acting deputy commissioner Mark Rowley, the Met's senior anti-terror officer, said police believed the suspect was "inspired by international terrorism" - and they believed they knew who he was.

Paying tribute to PC Palmer, who had served the police for 15 years, Mr Rowley said: "Today in Westminster we saw tragic events unfold and our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones, those who were injured and all those affected by this attack.

"One of those who died today was a police officer, Pc Keith Palmer, a member of our parliamentary and diplomatic protection command. Keith, aged 48, had 15 years' service and was a husband and father.

"He was someone who left for work today expecting to return home at the end of his shift, and he had every right to expect that would happen."

The attack has delayed the Queen's planned visit to the new headquarters of the Metropolitan Police.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the decision had been taken to postpone the Queen's engagement in light of the attack.

Stories of heroism and bravery emerged from the incident, which brought central London to a standstill and closed transport networks around the capital shortly after 2.30pm on Wednesday.

Paramedics fought to save Mr Palmer's life, and that of his attacker, on the floor of the cobbled courtyard in front of Parliament, with Foreign Office minister Tobias Ellwood among those who rushed to help.

Mr Ellwood, who lost his brother in the Bali bombing, could be seen pumping the officer's chest then standing above him, his hands and face smeared with blood.

Armed officers, some in plain clothes and wearing balaclavas, swarmed around the yard just feet from where MPs had earlier attended Prime Minister's Questions.

The knifeman drove a grey Hyundai i40 across Westminster Bridge before crashing it into railings, then running through the gates of the Palace of Westminster.

His attack left a trail of destruction as paramedics tended to victims on the bridge and at the gate.

One woman hit by the attacker's car before he reached Parliament was confirmed dead by a doctor at St Thomas' Hospital. She said others on the bridge suffered "catastrophic injuries".

Another woman who fell into the Thames was rescued and given urgent medical treatment on a nearby pier.

A party of French schoolchildren were among those targeted on the bridge, while four students from Edge Hill University in Ormskirk were also hurt - two described as "walking wounded", and another couple said to have minor injuries.

Romanian and South Korean tourists were also caught up in the tragedy.

Last night Assistant Chief Constable Russ Foster of West Yorkshire Police said: “Our sympathies go out to all those affected by the tragic events in London and to the family of the police officer and those who lost their lives.

“The public's safety remains our top priority and I want to reassure the people of West Yorkshire that we will be reviewing all security in light of today’s incident.

“At this time there is no specific information suggesting an imminent threat to West Yorkshire and there has been no change to the current threat level for international terrorism in the UK which remains at Severe and which means 'an attack is highly likely'. We will continue to review our deployments and take all possible steps to keep people safe and minimise the risk of a terrorist attack occurring.

“The public will see an enhanced policing presence across West Yorkshire as the UK police together with security and intelligence services are working around the clock to help keep communities safe. This will include increased visibility of uniformed officers and an uplift in the capability of armed response vehicles.

“We urge people to be alert but not alarmed – we hope that the increased police presence across the county reassures the public that the police service and our partners are doing everything we can to help protect the security of our citizens, public institutions, critical national infrastructure and businesses.

“It is also incredibly important at times like this that communities come together and support each other.

“Should anyone have any concerns or see anything suspicious I would urge them to report it immediately to the Confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789321. In an emergency always dial 999.

"The easy-to-remember national guidance of Run, Hide, Tell, explains what people should do if they are confronted by terrorists. First 'Run' to a place of safety. This is a far better option than trying to surrender or negotiate. If there is nowhere to run then 'hide'. It is better to hide than confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can. Then finally, and only when it is safe to do so, 'tell' by calling police on 999".