Updated June 04, 2017 11:58:46

Photo: Distraught onlookers sit on the ground after the attack (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

The scene in London on Saturday night was one of panic with bodies lying on the street, armed police storming into restaurants and bystanders being marched away with their hands on their heads.

Witnesses said a van mounted the footpath on London Bridge and ploughed into pedestrians just after 10:00pm local time, before several people got out of the vehicle and started stabbing people.

Photo: People run down Borough High Street as police are dealing with a "major incident" at London Bridge in London. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)

Photo: A suspected London Bridge attacker lies on the ground with canisters strapped to his body just hours after a van ploughed into pedestrians on London Bridge. (Instagram: Gabriele Sciotto)

Photo: People leave the area wearing foil blankets after an incident near London Bridge. (Reuters: Hannah Mckay)

Photo: People leave the area with their hands up after an incident near London Bridge. (Reuters: Neil Hall)

Photo: People leave the area with their hands up after an incident near London Bridge. (Reuters: Neil Hall)

Photo: People receive medical attention in Thrale Street near London Bridge. (AP: Federica De Caria)

Photo: Police attend to an incident on London Bridge in London. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

Photo: An armed policeman talks to members of the public outside London Bridge Hospital. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)

Photo: An armed police officer looks through his weapon on London Bridge. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)

Photo: A police officer clears people away from the area near London Bridge. (AP: Matt Dunham)

Photo: Emergency personnel tend to wounded on London Bridge after an incident in central London. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)

Photo: Armed police officers rush to nearby Borough Market where there were reports people had been stabbed in a restaurant. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

Photo: Police attend to an incident on London Bridge. (Reuters: Hannah McKay)

Photo: Police officers run on Borough High Street as police are dealing with an incident on London Bridge. (AP: Dominic Lipinski)

Topics: world-politics, unrest-conflict-and-war, terrorism, crime, police-sieges, law-crime-and-justice, united-kingdom

First posted June 04, 2017 10:39:48