THE terrorist who attacked crowds outside Westminster had a violent past and lengthy criminal history, it has emerged.

Khalid Masood, who stormed Parliament on Wednesday armed with two knives, was said to have held a blade to a friend's throat 16 years earlier and later told him: "I dream about killing someone."

The 52-year-old's criminal career dates back to 1983 and includes convictions for assault, GBH and possession of an offensive weapon.

He served time at several prisons and concerns are now being raised that he was radicalised with extreme Islamic ideology while behind bars.

He subsequently came to the attention of MI5, but only as a peripheral figure, according to Prime Minister Theresa May.

His former friend Lee Lawrence, 47, alleged he had threatened to kill someone.

Mr Lawrence told The Telegraph: "He had the knife against my throat and he is going, 'I want some blood, I want to kill someone'. 

"After he calmed down a bit he was saying, 'What have I done? What am I doing? I am going for help, I just want blood or I want to kill someone'.

"He said he was having help, some kind of anger management."

He also claimed Masood told him: "I dream about blood. I dream about killing someone."

Counter-terrorism officers have spent days piecing together what led Massod to shed his birth name Adrian Russell Ajao and unleash carnage on the capital.

In the daylight attack at Westminster on Wednesday, Masood drove a car into crowds, killing three and leaving 50 people injured, before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death.

Two men - a 27-year-old and 58-year-old arrested in Birmingham - remain in custody. A hunt for accomplices saw 11 people held after raids across the country.

It remains unclear whether the attack carried out alone or with support.

The Saudi Arabian embassy in London said Masood worked in the country, home to some of the most virulent Islamic extremism, for several years, raising the possibility he was radicalised overseas.

Scotland Yard's top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley has appealed to the public for information about the killer. 

Oxford Mail:

  • Scotland Yard's Mark Rowley briefs journalists. Picture: Lauren Hurley/PA Wire​

Mr Rowley said two people remain in hospital in a critical condition, one with life-threatening injuries. Two police officers injured in the attack are also in hospital with 'significant injuries'.

Mr Rowley said: "We remain keen to hear from anyone who knew Khalid Masood well, understands who his associates were and can provide us with information about places he has recently visited.

"There might be people out there who did have concerns about Masood but did not feel comfortable for whatever reason in passing those concerns to us."

It comes after Prime Minister Theresa May paid tribute to 48-year-old PC Palmer, a father and husband who was killed in the attack. 

PC Palmer, a member of the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Squad, was fatally stabbed by Masood as he tried to stop him entering Parliament. Masood was shot dead moments later. 

Addressing the House of Commons, Mrs May paid tribute to Mr Palmer, telling MPs: "He was every inch a hero. And his actions will never be forgotten."

British-born Masood was born in Kent but believed to most recently be living in the West Midlands.

The pedestrians he killed are a man in his 50s named as American tourist Kurt Cochran and a woman in her 40s named as Aysha Frade staff member at DLD College London. 

Police have also named 75-year-old Leslie Rhodes from Streatham, south London, as the fourth victim who later died in hospital.

The Islamic State group claimed through its news agency that Westminster attacker was a "soldier of the Islamic State".

In a series of tweets on Wednesday, TVP Chief Constable Francis Habgood said action was being taken locally.

He said: “Our sympathies go to all those affected by the tragic events today. We are reviewing security in light of this incident to keep you safe.

“After the incident in London today, should you have any concerns or see anything suspicious then please report it immediately @thamesVP.

#RIP PC Keith Palmer murdered today protecting Parliament and serving his community. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

MPs in parliament held a one minute silence at 9.33am and emergency services across the county have joined those paying tribute.
 

The attack has been condemned by Oxford-based Muslims, who have said the actions of terrorists would never win.

Hojjat Ramzy, director of the Cowley-based Oxford Islamic Information Centre, said: “We are shocked and saddened by the incident at Westminster.

“We condemn this evil attack and our total support and solidarity is with our UK parliament.

“Our thoughts and prayers are for the victims of this evil act.  We pray for the victims who last their lives in this indecent specially our brave policemen who last his life in protecting our parliament and our democracy.

“We are shocked that one mad man can do so much harms to the innocent people.”

Oxfordshire County Council flew the Union Jack flag and Oxfordshire flag at County Hall at half-mast on Thursday to pay its respects.

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, who was in the House of Commons chamber at the time of the attack, said: "Obviously my thoughts are with the friends and family of the PC Palmer and the other victims from the awful events that happened.

"But we have to carry on and show we are not going to be beaten by this."

Speaking on Thursday, as Parliament reopened as normal, he added: "It is eerily quiet at Westminster today, my office looks out over Westminster Bridge which of course is still closed, with lots of police officers and cordons in place.

"It obviously prompts reflection. It is very important we don't let things like this disrupt our normal way of life and its by carrying on our democratic way of life that we demonstrate we are not going to be beaten."

Banbury MP Victoria Prentis was walking close to the Prime Minister as they were between a vote at the time of the attack.

She had since returned to Westminster, she said: "It is very quiet around Westminster as the whole area is cordoned off with police lining the streets and helicopters overhead.

"Everyone is very sad about the policeman that has died as we all knew him by sight and it is very sad that innocent passer-bys got caught up in it all as well."

She added: "I don't think there was any question in anyones mind that we have to carry on today.

"It is very important that people who want to do harm know that it won't disrupt our democratic parliament."

Oxford West and Abingdon MP Nicola Blackwood, who was also at Westminster during the attack, said: "Obviously it was a shocking incident, but the extraordinary response from police and security services - who even knowing one of their own had been killed and given his own life to protect us - they just carried on with their job and ran into the face of danger.

"Plus the medics and nurses who ran into an evolving situation to help thos injured on the bridge. There are so many examples of the best of our country."

She added: "The vote had been called and I was walking to Portcullis House a bit behind Ed Vaizey.

"There was lots of shouting and people running in from the entrance of the building, I just thought it was protesters that had got in.

"People were shouting for us to go down the escalator and I thought I would carry on and vote so got to the bottom of the escalator and a member of my staff literally ran into my arms as they had been out the front where the shooting happened.

"I didn’t want to take them back up the escalator or back where they had come from so we backed into this little corner and hid back for a few minutes.

"People were running past and officers going up and down the escalators doing a sweep of the building to check no other assailants were in there.

"We managed to leave through an underground kitchen entrance after about 20 mins.

"I think that was the most worrying thing for me, that I didn’t know where my all my staff members were and we didn’t really know the extent of what had happened.

"We leave right into New Palace Yard which is why one of my staff members were there."

Imam Monawar Hussain, founder of The Oxford Foundation which support young people across the country, called the attack 'cowardly'.

He said: "At the forefront of my thoughts and prayers this morning are the victims, their families, and friends, at what must be an immeasurably difficult time for them. 
 
"I also pray for those men and women from the police, security and emergency Services, who work tirelessly to keep us safe in such exceptionally difficult circumstances.  In particular, this morning I have in my thoughts and prayers PC Keith Palmer, his family and friends - he made the ultimate sacrifice and in doing so, saved so many other lives.

"Our strength as a nation lies in the values that make us great - democracy, rule of law, free speech and respect for difference.  These values have stood us the test of time.  By holding firmly to these values, we will defeat this recent manifestation of cowardly terrorist violence too."