London paused on. Monday to mark the 20th anniversary of the terror attacks which took place on the 7th July, 2005.

Fifty-two people died in the attacks and hundreds were injured when three suicide bombers struck at 8.50am in the vicinity of Aldgate, Edgware Road and Russell Square Tube stations. A fourth device exploded at 9.47am on a bus that had been diverted via Tavistock Square.

On Monday, the names of all those killed in London’s 7/7 bombings were read out at the National Memorial Service at St Paul’s Cathedral. In Hyde Park, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the 7/7 Memorial, marking the time when the first bomb exploded.

Commemorative events were also held at the sites where the bombings occurred.

In a message to mark the anniversary, King Charles III said his “heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible Summer’s day”.

“We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil – and the enduring grief of their loved ones. We recall, too, the hundreds more who carry physical and psychological scars, and pray that their suffering may ease as the years pass.”

The King also called on people to “remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day”.

“The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst.”