London: The government minister who tried to resuscitate a police officer stabbed to death in the attack on Britain's parliament described the incident on Thursday, saying "what a mad world."
Tobias Ellwood, 50, a junior minister in the foreign office, walked away from the scene with blood on his face and hands.
Ellwood's brief includes counter-terrorism. Before entering politics he served in Northern Ireland, Kuwait, Bosnia and other countries during a six-year spell in the British army.
Speaking to Britain's Times newspaper, he said: “What a mad world — tried to save officer but stabbed too many times.”
"I was on the scene and as soon as I realised what was going on I headed towards it," he said. "I tried to stem the flow of blood and give mouth-to-mouth while waiting for the medics to arrive but I think he had lost too much blood. He had multiple wounds, under the arm and in the back."
Ellwood, whose brother was killed in a bomb attack in Bali in 2002, was hailed as a hero by fellow lawmakers, and many of Britain's tabloid newspapers featured images of him knelt over the body of the victim just inside the gates of parliament.
A Reuters witness saw him walk away from the body, which was later covered in blankets, before comforting others in the area.