Normality is the only responce

The death toll has risen to fifty eight yesterday and more than 700 injured as terrorists struck at the heart of London yesterday morning, causing the biggest loss of life in a terrorist attack on mainland Britain.

In a series of co-ordinated strikes, explosive devices were detonated on three underground trains and a bus travelling through central London during the morning rush hour.

It is feared by the emergency services that the death toll could rise.

Emergency services rushed to east, west and central London as the bombs went off in sequence and without warning over a 50-minute period.

The first device exploded at 8.51am on a Circle line train between Aldgate East and Liverpool Street stations. Seven people were killed.

At 8.56am a second device exploded on a train between King's Cross and Russell Square, killing twenty five people.

At 9.17am there was another blast on a train at Edgware Road station which blew a hole through a wall into another train on an adjoining platform. Two other trains were affected and seven people were killed.

At 9.47am a fourth blast blew the top off a double-decker bus in Tavistock Square, central London, killing more than a fifteen people.

As the emergency operation swung into operation, the tube and bus network was shut down and ordinary Londoners began a desperate effort to help the terrified and the injured.

The Union flag today again flys at half mast from Buckinham Palace.

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A column written by Patrick Bishop, in The Daily Telegraph headed: "Remember that normality is the only civilised response to terror", is perhaps the most salient piece written today.

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Mr. Bishop advances the sad but obvious thesis that yesterday proved that the security services are unable to defend the public, all along Baldwin's line that "the bomber will always get through". But he then offers the realistic and in a way uplifting observation that, "The dead will be buried, the injured will heal and life will go on," but adding the caution that: "Normality is the only civilised response to terror.''

That is something that the terrorists will never understand.

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As that great Britain, Sir Winston Churchhill said in the during the blitz in 1940:

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''We will never surender''

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The front pages of Britain's Newspapers are listed below:


Guardian - front page FT - front page Independent - front page Telegraph - front page Times - front page Express - front page Sun - front page Mail - front page Mirror - front page