Parliament closed to the public following decision to increase terror threat level to critical

Tours of the Houses of Parliament have been cancelled and nobody without a pass will be allowed onto the estate today following the decision to increase the terror threat level to critical last night, the Telegraph reports.

Security has been stepped up in Westminster after the terror attack earlier this year which claimed the lives of five people including PC Keith Palmer who was guarding the palace gates.

Authorities announced this morning that Carriage Gates, the main entrance to Parliament where PC Palmer was stabbed to death, will be closed today and passholders will have to use another entrance to get into work.

The security of Carriage Gates has received intense scrutiny in the wake of the terror attack in March.