UK Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed at midday on 7 July that a series of explosions in central London were the result of a terrorist attack and that a number of fatalities had occurred.

At the time of going to press, it has not been confirmed who is responsible for the attacks, which took place during the morning rush hour in Edgware Road, Kings Cross, Liverpool Street, Russell Square, Aldgate East and Moorgate underground stations and on a bus in Tavistock Square.

Tourism marketing body Visit Britain has released a statement, saying: “At this stage, there is no reason for people to cancel their trip to Britain or London. However, they should be aware that there is major disruption in London.

“The police have not indicated who has caused these explosions so we will therefore not speculate at this stage what impact, if any, there could be on the visitor economy. Our main concern is for the people who have been affected by this incident.”

The explosions coincided with the start of the G8 summit in Scotland and came a day after London won its 2012 Olympic Games bid.