Blair urges people to stay calm

An electronic billboard in the Canary Wharf business district alerts Londoners that their city has been hit again by explosions. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - British Prime Minister Tony Blair urged people to stay calm after the security scare early today.

He held a meeting of a top-level security group immediately after hearing of the drama in London.

Mr Blair, senior ministers and intelligence and police chiefs gathered in Downing St for a meeting of the Cobra civil contingencies committee.

Cobra, named after the underground Whitehall room in which it meets, co-ordinates the British response to crises.

Mr Blair said the actions appeared to be aimed at scaring people and making them fearful and worried. But he urged people to go ahead with their business. He said people should remain calm.

"We can't minimise incidents such as this," Mr Blair said. "They're done to scare people, to frighten them and make them worried."

Mr Blair interrupted a meeting with Australian Prime Minister John Howard to gather with his senior security officials.

Mr Blair said the spirit of London and Britain was demonstrated when people had stood together after the bombings two weeks agao.

He felt people understood that terrorists wanted people to become afraid, which was why thousands had gathered days after the July 7 bombings to show their solidarity.

Before the incidents, Mr Blair had been due to discuss Britain's plans for hosting the 2012 Olympics with Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell and Lord Sebastian Coe.

As news of the alarm filtered out, police cordoned off an area around Downing St, as extra security measures swung into place. There was no suggestion that the heightened security was in response to any direct threat.

Mr Howard was having lunch with Mr Blair at No 10 Downing St when reports of the blasts started breaking. The lunch between the two leaders ended after about 20 minutes when Mr Blair rushed off for a security briefing.

The leaders postponed a planned press conference and photo call.

Mr Howard came out of No 10 on his way to another meeting with British Chancellor Gordon Brown at the same location.

Mr Howard said that Australia would remain a "steadfast partner" with Britain through the fight against terrorism.

"Terrorism is an enemy to all free people," he said. "Terrorism is not just about individual circumstances and individual events."

Downing St was in lock-down mode with a heavy police presence guarding the gates to the British Prime Minister's official London residence.

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