Blair statement:

At the present time we are still trying to establish what exactly happened...it's recently clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London. There are obvioujsly casualties. People who have died and people who are seriously injured...It's my intention to leave the G8 within the next couple of hours and get a report, face to face...And then to return later this evening.

It is the will of all the leaders of the G8 that the meeting should continue in my absence. That we shouldcontinue to discuss the issues we were to discuss...Each of the countries around that table have some experience of the effects of terrorism. All of the leaders...share our complete resolution.

It's partciularly barbaric that this has happened on a day when people are meeting to try to help the problems of poverty in Africa..

It's also recently clear that it is designed and aimed to coincide with the opening of the G8. There will be time to talk later about this. it's important, however, that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world. Whatever they do it is our determination that they never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world.