Updated: Monday 11 July 9.30am (BST)

I took last Friday off work (not out of fear of travelling, just thought it would be easier to rest in the sunshine at home…) so today was my first day back after Thursday’s events.

At least on the Jubliee Line, it feels pretty much like business as usual. I travel one of the busiest sections, between Waterloo and Bond Street, and it was just as squished as usual, for 8.45 in the morning.

There were a couple of uniformed police on the platform, which I think was reassuring. The only difference was that the electronic display on the train continuously showed the “Attention: Please keep your belongings with you” sign. Not sure if this was deliberate (these signs often get stuck anyway). Other than that, pretty normal.

I had a very slight apprehension when I first arrived at Waterloo, but by the time I was standing at the underground platform, I felt fine – defiant almost. There are many risks in life – and I’m certainly not going to be dictated to by extremist, violent actions.

London is a great city whose people will not be brought to their knees by terrorist acts.

Updated: Saturday 9 July 4.35pm (BST)

Recovery teams continue ‘grim task’ at King’s Cross crime scene

Emergency teams are dealing with horrific scenes as they recover bodies from the mangled wreckage of a Tube train near Russell Square station.
It is not known how many victims have yet to be pulled from the wreckage of the Piccadilly Line train carriages, deep underground.

Recovery teams face fumes, vermin, asbestos risks, heat and initially feared the tunnel might collapse.

At the same time the hunt goes on for forensic clues from the scene.

Blast victims face more surgery

The three bombs on London underground trains “exploded almost simultaneously”, say police.

Updated: Friday 8 July 3.10pm (BST)

A BBC reporter has been testing the underground mood today, as commuters try to maintain a ‘business as usual’ stance.

Updated: Friday 8 July 1.45pm (BST)

London’s transport system proves as resilient as its residents: the majority of London’s buses, tubes, and trains are operating a near-normal service today, with only the directly affected tube lines, stations and roads closed due to the vitally detailed forensic work continuing.

Updated: Friday 8 July 1.40pm (BST)

“Number Thirty” commuters reflect on tragic bus blast, as they pass the scene this morning. One commuter speaks of how she was saved yesterday because she was running late for work. She saw the ill-fated bus pulling away when she got to the station.

Updated: Friday 8 July 1.35pm (BST)

Police say that some people are still trapped in the tunnels near Kings Cross station:

Emergency services are encountering difficulties recovering bodies from the site of the bus blast and also in the Tube train between King’s Cross and Russell Square.

Assistant Commissioner Hayman said: “It’s yet to be the case for us to get near the carriage. There is a risk of the tunnel being unsafe. I ask everyone’s patience as we progress this matter.

“It would be wholly unwise and could inhibit a successful prosecution if we rushed this stage.”

Updated: Friday 8 July 1.30pm (BST)

Aerial shots of London today show a quieter city than usual, indicating that a number of people stayed away from the centre. Having said that, a midsummer’s Friday is not the most accurate indication of commuters’ reaction. Monday should provide a better picture of any effect.

Updated: Friday 8 July 12.40pm (BST)

Perhaps half-a-million (500,000) tourists were in London yesterday, according to travel experts’ computations.

One of the terrorists’ aims may have been to disrupt London tourism industry, and what happens in London can have an effect on the rest of the UK, as London is a primary gateway city to and from Europe and the rest of Britain.

What we’ve seen is that other cities (New York, Madrid, etc.) faced with these attrocities have ‘bounced back’.

American tourists have traditionally been our biggest ‘import’, spending the most in the capital. Their continued confidence and desire to come to London will be key.

Updated: Friday 8 July 12.30pm (BST)

The death toll will rise above 50, says Sir Ian Blair, head of the Metropolitan Police, though it will be unlikely to rise above 100.

Updated: Friday 8 July 11.50am (BST)

With the possibility that the bus explosion may have been caused by a suicide bomber, one commuter says he may have seen terrorist:

Mr Jones, who was forced to take the bus from Euston after Tube services were suspended, said: “He was standing next to me with a bag at his feet and he kept dipping into this bag and fiddling about with something.

“I was getting quite annoyed with this because it was a crowded bus.”

Updated: Friday 8 July 6.10am (BST)

Commuters try to return to ‘normal’, though police still urge people to ‘seriously consider’ whether their journeys into central London are absolutely necessary.

Read full article: Commuters heading back to London

Updated: Friday 8 July 6am (BST)

Some will always take advantage of a tragic situation… Some hotels ‘cash in’ on terror attack:

A Trading Standards Institute spokesman said profiteering after an act of terrorism was reprehensible.

With the transport networks down and no way of returning home, one businessman from Manchester told the BBC he had paid £250 for an £80 room.

Commuters said they were appalled, and thousands chose to walk for hours to reach home rather than stay the night in a hotel.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 11.25pm (BST)

A massive hunt for London bombers is now underway.

Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said Thursday’s attacks bore all the hallmarks of the al-Qaeda network.

Home Secretary Charles Clarke is urging people to go about their business as normally as possible on Friday.

Whitehall sources say every resource is being used, but it may take some days before a picture emerges of who was to blame.

Anti-terrorism officers are examining whether or not the attacks were the work of suicide bombers.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 10.35pm (BST)

Although all mainline rail stations are now open, and buses are running in all London Zones, police are still advising people not to travel into the capital.

I expect all commuters / tourists etc. will re-assess the situation tomorrow morning.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 10.25pm (BST)

Buckingham Palace flies Union flag at half-mast. The Queen will visit people who were caught up in the blasts tomorrow.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 10.20pm (BST)

I’ve had my disagreements with Bob Crow, General Secretary of the RMT, over Tube issues (mainly strikes) but I agree with him: it’s not up to drivers to do security checks on trains until the police or Army officials give the all-clear.

General secretary Bob Crow said: “We don’t believe drivers should be checking trains until police or army officers have given the all clear.

“We obviously apologise for any delays this will cause, but the threat is too serious for such crucial inspections to be done by untrained staff.”

Read the article: Row over Tube security inspection

Updated: Thursday 7 July 10pm (BST)

Read the London Mayor’s response to those responsible for today’s attrocities. Ken Livingstone, clearly shaken, spoke before leaving Singapore after the 2012 Olympics bid ceremony.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 7pm (BST)

Home safely – Waterloo station felt almost normal at 5pm.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 1.40pm (BST)

World leaders’ reactions to London blasts

Updated: Thursday 7 July 1.35pm (BST)

Emergency services advice.

London Explosions in depth

Updated: Thursday 7 July 1.30pm (BST)

Blair says terrorists will never win

Updated: Thursday 7 July 1.10pm (BST)

Not of the greatest important at this stage, but Olympic officials have said terrorist explosions in London will not affect the city’s hosting of the 2012 Games.

More pictures here.

Updated: Thursday 7 July 1.05pm (BST)

It’s almost certain that terrorism is the cause of the explosions on London’s transport network.

Two are dead and a growing number of people, in the hundreds, injured.

Mobile phone networks are rightly giving priority to the emergency services, so connections are patchy. The fixed telephone services appear to be generally coping.

Many news sites including the BBC are being swamped. It’s near-impossible to get detail from BBC London Travel website. American news sites such as CNN are a better bet as Londoners and Britons naturally migrate to British news sites first.

I’m in the West End, near Bond Street, and whilst we’re supposedly away from the centre of the incidents, there are constant sounds of sirens and helicopters. It’s very surreal – I am getting shivers up my spine every time I hear one.

Transport is paralyzed.

See pictures at the scene (warning some scenes are disturbing).

Read eye-witness accounts