Two people have died in what the Metropolitan Police are describing as a terrorist incident on London Bridge.

The attacker was later shot dead.

Several members of the public managed to wrestling to the ground, and their bravery has been widely praised.

Police say the attacks started here in Fishmongers Hall of the Northern End off the bridge.

Now the alarm was raised just before 2 p.m. This afternoon.

The attacker then appears to have moved on to the bridge, where he was tackled and disarmed amid some chaotic scenes.

Police then arrive at three minutes past two.

That's five minutes after the first emergency call.

Armed officers then fired two shots, killing the suspect, fearing he was wearing an explosives vest.

Well.

The prime minister, who is chairing a Cobra meeting in Downing Street right now said earlier than any accomplices to the attack will be hunted down and brought to justice, while the mayor of London study can praised what he called the breathtaking heroism shown by members of the public who tackled the suspect tonight, large parts of central London remained cordoned off and there are extra police patrols on duty across the capital well.

Our correspondent Daniel Sandford is at the scene.

Live for us tonight, Daniel Clive once again a major bridge in central London is closed following a suspected terrorist attack which killed two people.

Once again, it involved knives and a fake bomb on.

Once again, police had to kill.

The suspect in the attacks started it Fishmongers Hall that what's thought to have been a criminal justice event on the main suspect is thought to be in a former prisoner attending that event.

My report of the day contains some distressing details and pictures.

It's a crisp winter afternoon in the city of London when, just before two o'clock panic starts, passengers filming from a bus see armed officers pointing their weapons.

There's a struggle on London Bridge.

Two of the officers go forward beside the Melania's, a man standing with a knife, which he's taken from the suspect he runs with his armed officers.

Shout, Get back!

They put away a man whose wrestling with suspect and then opened fire.

Oh my God!

There were too loud pops.

He won't.

When he was lying on floor after the Pops, he then sort of pulled his jacket back on you could see underneath that there was some sort of vest, whether a stab vest or a explosive vest on.

At that point, the police office officers really backed away.

Of course, I was really scared at this point cause we were about as close as the police officers in our bus.

So, yeah, that was scary.

They're all moving back.

There was more firing on the suspect, who police say was wearing a hoax bomb, died at the scene.

I can confirm at this time way believe a device that was strapped to the body of the suspect is a hopes explosive device.

London Ambulance Service declared a major incident.

At least five people who had been stabbed were taken to hospital, but two of them my heart, goes out to their loved ones on to the three further injured victims who I understand are being treated in hospital and, of course, to everybody who has been affected by today's terrible on mindless events.

The attacks started in Fishmongers Hall.

People attending a criminal justice event there said at least one woman had bean starved, shocked witnesses from the hall, some of them with blood on their clothes, were ushered away and driven off in a bus commandeered by police.

Then the area was flooded by armed officers on other specialist teams, Asil.

The surrounding buildings were evacuated.

It's 20 past three.

Normally at this time one of Friday, their city is buzzing, the bars open, people starting to make their way home.

But this evening it is sealed off with armed officers on officers with dogs patrolling every street.

This evening, with a good section of the city still closed off, the leaders of the two main parties were defiant.

I think the message that we send to them and anyone associate it with this type of attack is one that will be familiar.

And that is that this country will never be cowed or divided or intimidated by this sort of attack on D.

Our values are British values will prevail.

We have to remember that we live in a democratic society, and those that would seek to silence us will not succeed.

Our democracy must be alive and vibrant.

Tonight, a full blown terrorism investigation is underway.

3.5 weeks ago, the threat level was lowered from severe to substantial.

But today the city was reliving the horrors of the London Bridge attack 2.5 years ago.

Daniel Sanford, BBC News at London Bridge We're in a moment we'll hear from our deputy political editor, John Pienaar, in Downing Street.

But first, let's speak to Sara Campbell, who's at New Scotland Yard for us tonight, Sarah.

What Maura police say, while the much bulletin police have given to statements here today giving this clear timeline off events.

So the commissioner, Cressida Dick, described how the events started at Fishmongers Hall, with the police receiving the first call at 1 58 this afternoon.

And then, she said, just five minutes later, City of London police had confronted the suspect.

Now, in terms of what's happening here this evening, counterterrorism detectives, she said, would be working around the clock to identify the victims aunt to help their families whilst at the same time working at full tilt.

She said to understand what happened, and crucially, whether anyone else was involved in practical terms in London, this does mean that those cordons around London Bridge will remain in place for some time.

London records very busy at the moment, with shoppers on with tourists and as reassurance commissioner said that people would expect to see more police on the streets, both armed and unarmed, at anyone with any information is asked to call the anti terror hotline under Straight to you, John in Downing Street.

Any word yet from that cobra meeting being chaired by Boris Johnson.

Well, we wait for word after that meeting is taking place behind me here.

A number a number 10 The prime minister in the chair, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London.

He's in the meeting to the prime minister's being kept fully briefed on the police operation on the latest intelligence on his job today.

Since the the operation itself has been running on well planned and practised lines with no need for political interference, he's had a big job of articulating the view off the country.

So he's thanked the emergency services.

He's praised members of the public who stepped in at some risk to themselves and the articulate.

It articulated that message of defiance, which is being picked up by leaders off along the main parties.

Now Boris Johnson tonight has stepped back from campaigning.

He'll do the same again somewhere.

The Labour Party has suspended campaigning in London this evening.

But when campaigning picks up again as normal and that will happen quickly, you can naturally expect that that security and that confronting the threat of terrorism will rise higher up the election agenda in coming days.

Okay, John, thank you for that jump in our there in Downing Street under Sara Campbell at New Scotland.

Our security correspondent, Gordon Correra, is here.

What is the latest on the investigation into all this?

Well, initially, this looked very similar to that attack on London Bridge two years ago in which civilians, innocent people peace to be targeted at random at the bridge and borough market.

But as the day has gone on, our picture has evolved.

Some waters took what might have happened today.

The incident did start in Fishmongers Hall, where there was a criminal justice research meeting taking place.

The person believed to be responsible is the BBC understands, thought to be a former prisoner, and I've been told there is a connection with that event in terms of what's happened now, there was no intelligence, no advance warning that anything like this could have happened.

Although there will be questions about it.

The threat level against the U.

K.

Was actually brought down the level from severe to substantial at the start of the month, reflecting that they'd seen less potential attack planning and activity recently.

The one thing they will think there is that the actual response to the attack did happen very quickly, thanks to the police.

Thanks to members of the public, now it turns the investigation understanding all the details of that man who understand has been identified understanding what motivated him specifically whether he was targeting specific people and crucially, whether there were any other connections on whether there is any residual threat out there.

If there is, then we may see that threat level go up.

But at the moment, it hasn't gone out.

Okay, Gordon.

Thank you.

Gordon Correra, our security correspondent.

Home Affairs correspondent Daniel Sandford is at the scene for us.

Daniel.

This, of course, bringing back terrible memories off that other attack just 18 months ago.

Describe.

That's right.

It was just 2.5 years ago.

The London Bridge attack took place just a few 100 yards from here On that in the same year is the horrors of the Manchester Arena Westminster Bridge attack on the Finsbury Park, Qatar.

That had been a sense that we were starting to put that year of terror behind us.

The threat level had bean reduced from severe to substantial, and things were starting to move on.

People started to feel that they weren't being hit by attack after attack after attack on now comes another horrendous, fatal suspected terrorist attack right in the heart of central London.

On over Shattering the whole thing tonight is the fact that this suspect is a former prisoner on I've had it confirmed just in the last few minutes that he's a former prisoner convicted of a terrorism offence, still serving his licence period after having being released from prison on.

So now, questions already being asked about how we deal with former prisoners, not least of all by the prime minister himself.

And as we get through the next few days, that question.

How do you deal with former terrorist prisoners once they've been released, I think is going to be hanging over the whole tragic fact.

Okay, Daniel, thank you.

Down in Sanford, our Home affairs correspondent there on this is the scene at London Bridge tonight as police continue their investigations.

Two people died today and three others are still being treated in hospital.