A MAN being held on suspicion of terrorism after a car ploughed into cyclists outside Parliament was recently a student at Coventry University.
Salih Khater was arrested by armed police after the vehicle was ‘deliberately’ driven at the cyclists and then a security barrier at the Houses of Parliament shortly after 7.40am on Tuesday (August 14).
Coventry University confirmed in a statement: “Salih Khater studied accountancy at Coventry University between September 2017 and May 2018. As of May 2018 he is no longer enrolled at the university.”
The 29-year-old is also believed to live in the region, in Sparkbrook, Birmingham.
He is a British citizen and originally from Sudan,
He did not co-operate with officers after his arrest, Scotland Yard said, as he was being questioned in south London.
Yesterday, Khater was further arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Police have searched three addresses in Birmingham, including one in Sparkbrook, and one in Nottingham.
Three people were injured after a silver Ford Fiesta hit cyclists and pedestrians just before 7.40am.
A man and a woman were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and have both been discharged.
Another man was also treated at the scene.
The Metropolitan Police believe the privately owned car was driven from Birmingham late on Monday night (August 13), arriving in London just after midnight.
They added the vehicle was in the Tottenham Court Road area from approximately 1.25am until 5.55am. It was then driven around the Westminster and Whitehall area from approximately 6am and stayed in this area until the time of the incident.
Cordons were placed around the Houses of Parliament and Parliament Square as investigations took place.
The vehicle was removed late on Tuesday night.
The investigation is being led by Met Police Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu.
In a statement released in the hours following the attack, he said: “The driver of the Fiesta, who was alone in the vehicle, was arrested at the scene by armed officers who were already nearby.
“The man, who is in his late 20s, was arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences and has been taken to a south London police station where he remains in custody.
“Officers are searching the vehicle and no other weapons have been found at this time.
“At this early stage of the investigation, no other suspects at the scene have been identified or reported to police. There is no intelligence of further danger to Londoners or the rest of the UK in connection with this incident.
“Our priority is to formally identify the suspect and establish his motivations if we can. He is not currently co-operating.”
