THE events of March 22 in Westminster are both shocking and tragic, especially for the families of the victims and the injured.

I send my sympathies and condolences to them all along with their families and friends.

With the greatest respect, King William IV offered Buckingham Palace to Parliament as an alternative home after the fire of 1834 badly damaged Westminster.

If we must hang on to the idea of Parliament meeting in central London then wouldn’t Buckingham Palace be a better place simply from a security point of view?

I would question the need however for Parliament to stay in London; the worlds greatest, busiest and most expensive city.

Isn’t it time to hand over the Palace of Westminster to the National Trust or English Heritage and let them open the buildings to the public so they can raise the £3.5bn needed to restore the palace?

Nigel Boddy, Darlington