MUM Ceri Cryer's first instinct was to shield her young son with her body when a man burst into the canteen at Westminster shouting to warn of the terror attack on Wednesday.

Her son Bede, eight, had accompanied his cheesemaker mum with his dad and grandparents to the awards ceremony for the Countryside Alliance’s Rural Oscars and they had just sat down to lunch with North Wiltshire MP James Gray when there was a commotion on Wednesday afternoon.

They now know that they were at the centre of a terrorist attack unfolding on Westminster Bridge and the gates of Westminster Palace.

Ceri, of Brinkworth, said: “There was lots and lots of shouting and a policeman came in and shouted: ‘Move, move, move!’”

Instantly the atmosphere changed. “I pushed Bede under the bench and got on top of him,” she said from her dairy.

They had no idea who the man was until her husband Chad demanded ID and was told in no uncertain terms that he was a police officer.

“We were moved to the centre of the building away from the windows," she said.

“At first it was scary. It was confusing.

“Announcements were made but it wasn’t possible to hear what was being said.”

After they were safe she felt her first priority was to reassure Bede.

“He is a sensitive soul and he was anxious,” she said.

But as the hours passed boredom and hunger became the challenge.

Ceri had left her mobile in the canteen and although Chad could send and receive texts, he couldn’t get on to the internet to find out what was happening outside.

They relied on messages from friends who were monitoring the news at home and relaying it in text message form to them.

Staff passed round water and crackers and a member of the Lords even shared his packet of Jelly Babies with the assembled crowd.

The Apprentice star Baroness Karren Brady offered her mobile phone for Bede to play on to help combat the boredom.

“Lord Mandelson sat on the steps just below us,” said Ceri. “All of the politicians were there. It was comforting that we were all together.”

After five hours everyone was released but as they left the palace the eerie silence of the street struck them.

But Ceri said they were thankful that they had been kept out of harm’s way and their thoughts were with the injured and bereaved.

“It is the families of those people that have really suffered. It is awful. I don’t know what motivates someone to do that.”

The terrorist behind the attack has been named by The Metropolitan Police as Khalid Masood.

Three people were killed when the knife-wielding attacker ploughed a car through pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, before storming the Parliamentary estate. He was shot dead.

Among his victims were PC Keith Palmer who was on duty within the grounds of the palace, DLD College London worker Aysha Frade and holidaymaker Kurt Cochran who was visiting the capital from the US.

A 75-year-old man died in hospital yesterday as result of the injuries he suffered in the attack.

Around 40 people from 11 different countries were injured in the attack, 29 of whom needed hospital treatment, while seven remain in a critical condition.

It is believed that a Faringdon man was one of the pedestrians hit by the car on Westminster Bridge in yesterday’s terror attack.

The man, thought to be a driver for Bookers in Elgin Drive, is believed to be in an induced coma in hospital in London.

The extent of his injuries is not yet known and Bookers refused to comment.

Members of London’s Muslim community have created a LaunchGood page to fundraise for the victims of the terror attack in Westminster, raising over £18,000 with further funds coming in.

The project, Muslims Unite for London, was set-up by Muddassar Ahmed who was in Parliament when the attack happened

Muddassar launched Muslims Unite for London with Akeela Ahmed, Hassan Hoque, Mohammed Marikar and two British Muslim MPs, Naz Shah and Yasmin Qureshi.

A statement by the organisers says: "The British Muslim community stands with all Britons and Londoners during these difficult times and extends their support in raising funds to help with the immediate, short-term needs of the families of Keith Palmer, the other victims and the families of the victims.

"While no amount of money will bring back lives lost or take away from the pain the victims and their families are going through, we hope to lessen their burden in some way.

"Though this is a Muslim-led campaign, we welcome contributions from our friends from other faiths and none.”

Donations can be made at LaunchGood.com/London