Parliament crash: This is how you can help after the incident at Westminster

This morning a car crashed into the security barriers outside of the Houses of Parliament and injured several pedestrians.

The incident has been reported by the Metropolitan Police but they have stated that they do not believe that anyone is in a "life-threatening condition".

Police have since confirmed that the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation, which is now being treated as a terrorist incident.

Scotland Yard has said that a man in his late 20s was arrested at the scene on suspicion of terrorist offences.

At 07:37hrs on Tuesday 14 August, a silver Ford Fiesta collided with a number of cyclists and pedestrians, before crashing into barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.

He [the driver] was arrested on suspicion of terrorist offences.

There was nobody else in the vehicle, which remains at the scene and is being searched. No weapons have been recovered at this stage.

A number of people were injured as a result of the collision and they have been taken to hospital.

At this early stage none of the injuries appear to be life-threatening.

Officers remain at the scene and cordons are in place to assist the investigation. Road closures in the area are likely to remain in place for some time. Westminster Tube station is currently closed.

At this stage, we are treating this as a terrorist incident and the Met's Counter Terrorism Command is now leading the investigation.

In the wake of these sorts of events, various stories, images and speculation emerge online, despite only a small amount of details being disclosed to the public.

Yet the most important thing to do in these moments is to remain calm, sensible and vigilant and not spread misinformation that you may see online or elsewhere.

Here are a few things you can do to help in the immediate aftermath of these incidents.

1. Get your information from official news sources.

You may see in the next few hour and days lots of news related to this event.

Only trust information that you know is from an official source.

Double check all that you read has been confirmed by authorities and think before you decide to share anything on social media.

2. If you think you have information, send it to the right source.

Although only a small amount of information has been disclosed so far, if you believe you have any information, knowledge, images or footage of what happened, it's imperative that it is shared with the police first and not with friends or on social media.

Sharing it online before contacting the authorities can be a hindrance to their investigation and your evidence could be of great benefit.

3. Don't share graphic or distressing images.

One of the most common things to happen in relation to incidents of this kind is the spreading of fake images that others are claiming to have come from the scene.

Furthermore, even if they are real images of the incident, it is mindful not to share any graphic images that you may see.

These can cause distress to others - especially if family or friends were involved.

Images can be sent to the police via: https://ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk/upload/choose

4. Follow the advice of the authorities.

Although enquirers are continuing, it is important to follow the advice of the authorities and their instructions.

Remain vigilant and if you see anything suspicious, please contact the Metropolitan Police of British Transport Police on the following numbers:

Metropolitan Police:

Phone: 101

Phone (emergency): 999

Tweet:@MetCC

British Transport Police:

Phone: 0800 40 50 40

Phone (emergency): 999

Text: 61016

Counter Terrorism Command:

Phone: 0800 789 321

More: 911 dispatcher tells white people to take a minute before calling the police on black people