St Albans MP Anne Main was put in lockdown in the House of Commons chamber yesterday following the attack on Westminster.

She had been preparing to speak in a debate on global trade when proceedings were called to a halt and MPs were told to stay in the chamber.

Speaking to the Herts Advertiser, Mrs Main said: “It all happened just as a vote was taking place.

“I was preparing to speak in a debate and then people came into the division lobby and told us to go into the chamber and stay there.”

“All the doors were locked and the students and children watching the debate were locked in.

Mrs Main said her main concern was for her four staffers in Portcullis House, the parliamentary office block.

She said: “It was all evolving. No-one knew what was happening. All we knew came from Twitter.

Mrs Main spoke out against the “voyeuristic” trend of taking photos of victims when the attack happened.

“I have to say I was fairly appalled and question the sensitivity of that, when people’s relatives do not yet know.”

“My staff saw Tobias Ellwood, who had given mouth-to-mouth to the police officer who had been stabbed.

“He was covered in blood and being given a police escort, so people were quite concerned.”

Mrs Main and the parliamentarians were kept in lockdown for a long time whilst the police secured the scene, which created problems for some of the diabetics amongst them.

She said: “They were concerned about managing their blood sugar.

“So I went out to scout for food, went to the post office in the lobby, and found some digestives, which meant my colleagues who needed something got it.”

They were eventually allowed to leave at around 8pm.

She has praised the police and staff at Parliament saying: “We have some of the best security ever, and we appreciate that.

“We pass the security staff every day, but some will not be going back today.”

Asked about what she wanted the authorities to do next, she said: “It would be a very sad consequence if Parliament became less accessible because of this,

“We have one of the most accessible parliaments in the world.

“I do not know what they are planning to do, but to me it is important we do not shut ourselves away.”