Survivors and mourners remember July 7

FAMILIES of the victims of the July 7 London bombings were joined by political and religious leaders for a memorial service in the historic setting of St Paul’s Cathedral.

At the heart of the service was a poignant Act of Remembrance, the lighting of four candles - one for each of the four blast sites at Aldgate, King’s Cross, Edgware Road and Tavistock Square.

Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister Tony Blair joined bereaved families and survivors of the blasts for the solemn service.

Members of the emergency services, transport workers, senior politicians and police officers were also among the 2,300-strong congregation to remember the day when four suicide bombers brought carnage to London’s transport network.

In his sermon, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said terrorists were the enemy not just of a system or a government but “of the whole idea that we are each of us unique and responsible and non-replaceable”.

When confronted with terrorism we faced “people whose souls are damaged, almost destroyed”, he said.

The candles for each of the blast sites were carried to the cathedral’s altar by emergency and transport workers, together with the bereaved relatives.

Firefighter Michael Curnick bore the Aldgate candle, while the Edgware Road flame was held by paramedic Joanne Wiggett.

She was joined by Paul Dadge, a former firefighter who was widely pictured shepherding bomb victim Davinia Turrell to safety on Edgware Road as she clutched a surgical mask to her burnt face.

He said: “I was filled with a certain level of guilt that I was made out to be a hero - the real heroes were the people who lost their lives.”

The candle for Tavistock Square was carried by Linda Bedford, of the British Medical Association, while Pc Louise Berry bore the King’s Cross candle.

A Candle of Hope, containing six wicks, was lit by young members of London’s faith communities; among them a Sikh, a Buddhist, a Jew, a Hindu, a Muslim and a Christian.

After the service, the Queen walked out onto the steps of St Paul’s to meet some of the bereaved families.

Among them were Denise Baisden, whose 34-year-old son Lee died at Aldgate, Trevor and Beverly Ellery, the parents of 21-year-old Richard, who died at Aldgate, and John and Adam Mather, the father and brother of 26-year-old Shelly Mather, who died at King’s Cross.

As the Queen walked down the steps, she was presented with a posy by seven-year-old Ruby Gray, whose father Richard was killed in the blast at Aldgate Tube station. Her 11-year-old brother Adam refused to attend the ceremony because he blamed Mr Blair for making London a terror target.

Of the 52 victims of the London bombings, 36 were British citizens and 16 came from a range of countries from Israel to Bangladesh. In addition, 40 people were seriously injured and up to 900 more were hurt in the carnage.

More than half of the congregation yesterday had lost a family member or friend or had been injured in the blasts.

All but one of the 52 victims was represented at the service.

Relatives of the four suicide bombers were not invited to the service and neither were the family of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot in error by police a day after an attempted second wave of terrorist attacks on London’s transport network.