Britain marks a year since the London bombings

Hasib Hussain killed 13 people when he detonated his bomb in Tavistock Square. Picture / Reuters

LONDON - Amid stringent security, London and the rest of Britain will today mark the first anniversary of the July 7 bombing attacks on the capital.

A national two-minute silence will be held at noon (11pm NZT) as part of a day of events being staged in memory of the 52 people who died in the four bombing incidents; hundreds more were injured.

A number of memorial plaques will be unveiled and there will be a public reading of the names of those who died.

Tessa Jowell, the Culture Secretary, who is responsible for organising today's events, said the attacks were a "dark hour in our history".

Although there are not believed to be any specific threats, security throughout the capital is expected to be tight, with a visible police presence around underground, train and bus stations, largely to reassure the public.

The first anniversary of the bombings has been accompanied by renewed calls for a public inquiry into the attack from both the bereaved and survivors, some of whom have described the Government's official account of the events, released in May, as 'inconsistent and full of holes.'

Earlier this week, Peter Clarke, head of the Metropolitan Police anti-terrorist squad, admitted that even after a year's investigations, police were still unable to prosecute anyone who might have had prior knowledge of the plans by the four young British Muslim bombers, Mohammed Sidique Khan, Hasib Hussain, Germaine Lindsay and Shehzad Tanweer, who all died in the explosions.

Neither have the police been able to establish how much of the operation was guided by others operating overseas, the purpose of other bombs found in the car they left behind or where the video that Khan made beforehand was made.

A second video, by Tanweer, was released overnight.

Rachel North, an advertising executive who was on the Piccadilly Line train and helped establish the Kings Cross United support group for victims has led the calls for an inquiry.

She told the BBC yesterday: "Many people, including myself, are concerned that the government reports raise more questions than they answer and even seem to contradict each other in parts."

The UK Government has so far refused to countenance an inquiry, saying it will take up too much resources of the agencies committed to fighting terrorism, but has agreed to continue discussions with campaigners.

Today's events will begin with Ms Jowell, Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London and other dignitaries laying flowers at King's Cross station just before 9am (8pm NZT), to coincide with the timing of the attacks.

Mr Livingstone and others will later lay flowers in Tavistock Square, a year to the minute after a bomb exploded on a number 30 bus.

Plaques carrying the names of all those who died in the explosions will be unveiled at King's Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road and Aldgate Tube stations, and at Tavistock Square.

Many of the relatives will also attend private ceremonies at St Ethelburga's church in the City of London and at the Museum of London, where a book of tributes, containing the life stories of some of the victims, will be deposited.

During the day, the public will be encouraged to place flowers to help create a remembrance mosaic in Regent's Park, which will be completed at a commemoration service in the early evening, which is expected to be attended by more than a 1000 survivors and bereaved.

At the service, there will be a reading of the names of the 52 victims by Peter Donaldson, the BBC radio newsreader.

There will also be a performance by the London Gospel Choir and a Trydydd, a group of singers from London, will perform a song, written by the family of Helen Jones, one of those who died on the Piccadilly Line train.

- INDEPENDENT