Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk has expressed his appreciation for the emergency services following the Westminster terror attack.
Mr Danczuk was one of 300 MPs locked in the House of Commons when the incident occurred in London at around 2:35pm on Wednesday.
While the world reacted to the devastation outside, the politicians – many without phone signal or internet connection – were not permitted to leave the estate until around 7:30pm.
Mr Danczuk has now praised the ‘courageous’ police officers who dealt with the carnage on the streets of the capital.
He said: “We witnessed a horrific terrorist attack on Wednesday which struck at Parliament, the heart of our democracy.
“I know many in Rochdale and across the country will be affected by what has happened in London, and they will be shocked and saddened by what they’ve seen.
“Like everyone, I have been humbled by the courageous way that the police handled the attack. For me, this puts into perspective the hard work that Rochdale’s emergency services do all year round.”
Following the attack, Mr Danczuk has met with police officers in Rochdale to show his appreciation for all that they do.
He explained: “Rochdale town hall flew the flag at half-mast as a mark of respect to the victims of this attack, and I met with Rochdale police officers to thank them for their hard work and diligence.
“I know that Greater Manchester Police work constantly to prevent events like this happening and I have every faith in their ability to keep us safe from harm”
The London attack left five people dead and a number of people still critically injured in hospital.
The attacker, later named as Khalid Masood, used a hired SUV to run over around 20 pedestrians on Westminster Bridge.
After crashing his vehicle into railings outside Parliament, he ran into the estate and stabbed a police officer before being shot by armed policemen.
SHOCKED AND SADDENED: The attack caused chaos in the capital
Both Masood and police constable Keith Palmer died outside Parliament.
The three other fatalities were pedestrians who had been on Westminster Bridge.
Mum-of-two Aysha Frade died as she travelled to pick up her daughters from school.
American tourist Kurt Cochran also lost his life as he visited the capital alongside his wife Melissa, who was also seriously hurt.
Pensioner Leslie Rhodes was later named as the fourth victim.
Police investigations have since led to a number of raids and arrests in London, the West Midlands and the North West.
Ten people remain in custody, with two of the arrests taking place in Manchester.
“I want to offer my strongest assurances that we are here to support our communities and will robustly investigate any reports of hatred towards anyone,” said Greater Manchester Police assistant chief constable Rob Potts.
“We have reviewed our patrols to ensure we provide visible reassurance.
“Terrorist acts and hate crimes are committed by a tiny minority of people and are not representative of the public. We need to work together to defeat those who seek to destroy our communities with hate, fear, and violence.
“I urge people to come to us with any concerns you have, with the knowledge that we stand with you and will take action against any criminal behaviour.
“You can speak to a Neighbourhood officer, or call 101, if you are concerned about anything, and always call 999 in an emergency.
“I want be clear that there is no specific intelligence suggesting that there is any raised level of threat within Greater Manchester.”
Hate incidents will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and should be reported to police on 101 or using the True Vision website www.report-it.org.uk or the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously on 0800 555 111.
