Westminster crash suspect 'said he was going to London for a visa'

Salih Khater told members of the Sudanese community he was travelling to London to obtain a visa to visit his homeland, officials at a Birmingham mosque have said.

Khater has been named as the man arrested after a car was driven into cyclists and crashed into security barriers outside the Houses of Parliament.

The 29-year-old is currently being held by police on suspicion of preparing an act of terror and for attempted murder.

The ex-student, a keen footballer, was said to have used his own car to drive down to the capital a day before the appointment, aiming to avoid an early morning journey on Tuesday.

Birmingham Central Mosque said members of the local community believed Khater may have travelled to London for an appointment to obtain a visa to travel to Sudan.

Speaking at a press conference, a trustee of Birmingham Central Mosque, Nassar Mahmood, said inquiries in the local Sudanese community suggested Khater did not worship at the mosque and had shown no signs of radicalisation.

Sudanese community member Ali Mohamed told the news conference he understood that Khater had an appointment at the African country's embassy, which is less than a mile from Westminster.

The community leader said he was unaware of claims that relatives of Khater had died in a car crash in Sudan, telling reporters: "From what we know, he was a social person, he was a sportsman.

"He was trying to apply for a visa. We really don't know why he got into that incident."