Rock concert thank-you to emergency services

Rock group Queen are to invite thousands of emergency services personnel to attend a concert as a thank-you for their “extraordinary response” to the London bombings.

The band were due to play Hyde Park last Friday but the gig was cancelled due to Thursday’s events.

It has been rescheduled for this Friday and the group want it to become a tribute to the police officers, fire crews and ambulance workers who helped the bombing victims.

In a statement, Queen and new singer Paul Rodgers said: “We feel it is fitting to thank London’s emergency services for their extraordinary response in dealing with the effects of the bombing attacks and to celebrate the historical resilience of Londoners in their response to yet another atrocity.”

Guitarist Brian May said: “We were away playing a concert in Germany and arrived back Thursday morning to see all this going on. We were unbelievably shocked and saddened.

“The heroes that day, and since then, are the police and emergency services coming together as one, calmly and bravely dealing with the tragedy and getting London’s wheels turning again. We’d like to offer an appreciation.”

Some 85,000 fans will attend the gig, the first time Queen have played Hyde Park in 29 years.

They will be joined for the show by comic Peter Kay, young rockers Razorlight and Darkness members Justin and Dan Hawkins.