LONDON 2005

 

The terrorist attacks on London in 2005 now seem like a long time ago –they also feel like they happened yesterday.  They occurred at a time when the scourge of terrorism was at the forefront of government thinking and police policy.  The attacks in New York and Washington were a recent memory and there had been several major plots foiled in the UK in the previous couple of years.  In March 2004 a most dreadful attack against people using the railway in Madrid had killed nearly 200.  By 2005 we all spoke about it being not a matter of ‘if’ but it being a matter of ‘when’.   We attended and ran exercises.  We planned.  When it did happen in July 2005 the response of the emergency and other services was first class.  Not perfect, it never could be, but impressive on a scale that can still bring a lump to the throat of a sentimental pensioner.  52 entirely innocent people lost their lives and hundreds were injured.  Many more had their lives changed.  Few involved were left untouched.  By the time of the ‘failed’ attacks on 21^st July the co-ordination of the response was pretty much textbook.  We all gave thanks on that day that the devices did not fully explode and that the casualty count did not increase.  During the desperate manhunt that followed another innocent man lost his life the following day at Stockwell Station, tragically at the hands of police officers who believed him to be one of the terrorists.  In between these events there were very many other alarms and incidents – each one of them requiring a professional response.  It was truly a most incredible time for the country, for the London and for the emergency services.   My feeling in writing this blog is overwhelmingly one of pride in the work done by my colleagues.

Why mention all of this now?  Well in two years we will have reached the 20^th anniversary of July 2005.  The anniversary will be difficult for those whose lives were altered during those Summer days.  The anniversary seems a long way off so I was surprised to learn that plans by various television production companies for programmes about July 2005 are already well developed.  I suppose that such things have a long gestation time and are technically demanding.  Indeed, I am aware that some filming has already started as the research continues.  The current fashion seems to be for multi part documentaries and there have been some good examples on television in recent months.

From an historical perspective I produce this blog on the subject of the history of the policing of railway and railway docks.  There is no doubt that 2005 was an important year in the history of British Transport Police (BTP), an organisation that was no stranger to responding to terrorist attacks.  But the response to July 2005 was an effort that included many agencies, public and private.  No single organisation had the whole picture – not at the time and not now.  Therefore, I hope that the documentary makers will be able to weave together the story of those months from many different perspectives.  The voice of victims is essential.  The stories of responders, of political and civic leaders (and those in the back rooms) and the general public, all need to be told if the record being created is going to stand the test of history.   The anniversary should not be an opportunity for grandstanding or for conspiracy entertainment.  The programme makers and broadcasters have an obligation to get this right – I am sure that most of them will try in this regard.

From my narrow viewpoint I do worry about the impact of the anniversary on people who are now outside the care of the organisations they previously served.  Most will be fine of course.  But who knows what the anniversary will drag up?   In policing (the only area I can speak of with any knowledge) there isn’t really any support offered to those in retirement.  The Police Covenant should change this of course but it is such a vague concept that forces (and especially government) are not actually obliged to anything.  I was disappointed that BTP did not offer any support to retired officers who have been approached by filmmakers even though such support was suggested.  I do not know the position in the other police forces and agencies involved. 

From a more purely historical point of view organisations (including BTP)  have vast amounts of records concerning this period (not forgetting that the Inquest under Hallett, LJ, took place some years later).  These will be vital to future historians.  I hope that such information is preserved in a way that makes it accessible to researchers (with the necessary redactions for the next few years). 

 

This blog is part of a series on:  Policing Public Transport: A neglected History 

 

Phil Trendall

September 2023