Yesterday's horrific terrorist attack in Westminster saw the tragic deaths of several people on London's streets. The events that shocked the world also resulted in the serious injury of dozens of others.
Even now as we observe a minutes silence this morning the true facts are still unfolding. Raids have taken place at several addresses and a number of individuals have been arrested.
Our sympathies of course go out to all of those affected, particularly to the families of those who lost their lives. Amongst the dead was PC Keith Palmer. Husband, father, dedicated police officer. He died in the line of duty, protecting the public and our Parliament. Yesterday's events are tragic and will no doubt have long running implications but we should not focus on the terror and hatred of Wednesday's attack, but rather the heroism and bravery that it brought about.
The courage of PC Palmer himself, an unarmed officer doing his job, protecting the public, who paid the ultimate price. Those who acted quickly, instinctively and with compassion such as Tobias Ellwood who tried in vain to save Keith Palmer's life. The response of the emergency and security services was impressive and the security of the institution of Parliament was protected. The swift action of the authorities was only matched by the many acts of kindness and courage shown by the public.
It is virtually impossible to prevent such attacks. There will of course be close scrutiny of the security measures in place but that must be balanced by the need to preserve freedom and our way of life.
As Thames Valley's Chief Constable, Francis Habgood, has already said there is no specific intelligence suggesting an imminent threat in the Thames Valley. The public should be reassured that they remain incredibly safe, but naturally Thames Valley Police are reviewing security measures in light of yesterday's incident.
Anyone with any concerns or seeing something suspicious should of course report it immediately.