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Westminster terror attack: Suspect Khalid Masood was born in Kent

This grainy image is one of the first pictures of the schoolboy who went on to commit the heartless Westminster terrorist attack.

Khalid Masood, now 52, is shown as part of his school football team, in the days when he lived in Kent.

It's thought it might have been when he was a pupil at Huntley School for Boys in Tunbridge Wells.

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Khalid Masood during his school years
Khalid Masood during his school years

The picture comes after it was revealed the attacker lived in several addresses in the county, including Dartford, Medway and Tunbridge Wells.

Masood has been formally identified as the terror suspect, after five people, including the attacker, were killed and more than 20 were injured yesterday.

Today's edition of The Times reports Masood was born Adrian Elms in Dartford before moving to Rye in East Sussex.

But Dartford MP Gareth Johnson has been quick to distance the town from the actions of the terrorist, and said he is "not a true Dartfordian".

Dartford-born Khalid Masood killed four people in his murderous spree through Westminster.
Dartford-born Khalid Masood killed four people in his murderous spree through Westminster.

Mr Johnson said: "There have been reports that the man who attacked London on Wednesday was born in Dartford.

“He may have been born in Dartford but he is not a true Dartfordian. He turned his back on us and our values and embraced evil itself.”

Police and the air ambulance outside Parliament. Picture: Katharina Schoffman.
Police and the air ambulance outside Parliament. Picture: Katharina Schoffman.

Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite also hit out at the killer's Dartford roots.

He said: "He's not a Dartfordian and, since being a true Dartfordian is about character as well as geography, it doesn't look like he ever was.

"I don't much care where he came from but I do have a good idea where he's going.

"I appreciate it's of interest but I think it’s a pity to deflect from the warmth and heartfelt sympathies surrounding PC Keith Palmer and three other innocent victims with talk of someone else.

"I'm sure I'm not alone in finding myself thinking about PC Palmer at intermittent and unusual moments during the day.

"I would swap an extra hour of PC Palmer's life for fifty two years of his murderer’s right now" - Jeremy Kite

"Not sure how generous it is, or whether it makes me a bad person, but the way I'm feeling I would swap an extra hour of PC Palmer's life for fifty two years of his murderer’s right now. “

The Mail Online reports that Masood also had connections with Tunbridge Wells, where his family and stepfather moved when he was in his 20s.

They also report how, in 2004, he came to Medway, where he is believed to have married a local Muslim woman.

Metropolitan Police spokesman Mark Rowley said he was born in Dartford as Adrian Russell Ajao.

Meanwhile detectives believe he was most recently living in the West Midlands. Masood was also known by a number of aliases.

But Metropolitan Police said Masood was not the subject of any current investigations and there was no prior intelligence about his intent to mount a terrorist attack.

However, he was known to police and had a range of previous convictions for assaults, including GBH, possession of offensive weapons and public order offences.

His first conviction was in November 1983 for criminal damage and his last conviction was in December 2003 for possession of a knife.

Flowers left near the scene of the attack. Picture: Ollie Cole
Flowers left near the scene of the attack. Picture: Ollie Cole

The Times report said he had spent time in Lewes prison in East Sussex, Wayland jail in Norfolk and Ford open prison in West Sussex.

He has not been convicted for any terrorism offences.

Masood is thought to have driven from Birmingham to Brighton in a hired Hyundai and stayed in a hotel the night before the attack.

Anyone with any information about Masood can call the Met Police's Anti-Terrorist Hotline 0800 789 321.

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