A man poses for a photo while other people mull around on Westminster Bridge after a vehicle crashed into security barriers, injuring a number of pedestrians. Photo / Getty
A man poses for a photo while other people mull around on Westminster Bridge after a vehicle crashed into security barriers, injuring a number of pedestrians. Photo / Getty
Tourists in London have sparked outrage for taking selfies in front of the scene of the Westminster terrorist incident.
Seemingly oblivious to the seriousness of the situation, groups of tourists posed for selfies and photos close to where police have cordoned off the area outside the Houses of Parliament, where a car ploughed into cyclists and pedestrians, injuring several people.
One pair took photos next to the "do not cross" tape with a police officer in the background. Another photo shows a family smiling for the camera on Westminster Bridge with police cars and Big Ben in the background.
SBS's Chief Europe Correspondent Ben Lewis tweeted he had seen a tourist take photos of her young daughter with armed police in the background.
A man poses for a photo while other people mull around on Westminster Bridge after a vehicle crashed into security barriers, injuring a number of pedestrians. Photo / Getty
"Will never understand people who take selfies at crime scenes," he said.
BBC journalist Edward Lawrence also saw the bizarre behaviour at the scene.
"There's literally a tourist group at the terror cordon having a tour, in the middle of road," he said.
Will never understand people who take selfies at crime scenes. One tourist taking photos of her little daughter next to me with armed police in background. Bizarre. #westminster
"What's with those tourists taking selfies near parliament after the attack this morning?" one person tweeted.
"They wouldn't be doing that if they were the ones that got hit by the car … idiots."
Another said: "When terrorist attacks become tourist attractions."
Someone else tweeted: "Absolute morons. Something serious occurs and here they are like it's a film set."
But someone else said they had "mixed feelings" about the tourists' behaviour.
"On the one hand it's of ill taste," they tweeted. "On the other, these people may have travelled miles to see Westminster and want a photo of one of London's prominent buildings and if we stop them the terrorists win don't they?"
Mixed feelings about this. On the one hand it’s of ill taste. On the other, these people may have travelled miles to see Westminster and want a photo of one of London’s prominent buildings and if we stop them the terrorists win don’t they?
British counter-terrorism police have been carrying out searches in central England as part of their investigation into the incident on Tuesday at about 7.30am, local time.
Police said a silver Ford Fiesta had travelled from Birmingham to London late on Monday night and was driven around the Westminster and Whitehall area before it slammed into security barriers outside Parliament.
The driver, a 29-year-old British man, was arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist act. He is being held under provisions in the UK's Terrorism Act.
