Bomb probe points finger at bungled emergency response

A SERIES of failings in the emergency response to the July 7 London bombings were laid bare by a Government report today.

The Lessons Learned report, released by the Home Office, highlighted flaws in communications, the compensation process and the systems for caring for survivors of the blasts.

More could have been done to support all of those caught up in the aftermath of the explosions on London's transport system last year, it found.

Home Secretary John Reid said: "The response to the bombings was fast, professional and effective. However, where shortcomings have been identified, we have set out to address them. In times of crisis, information and support must be readily available and easy to access for those who need it. Getting the right help in place is of critical importance and we are working hard to strengthen our emergency response."

The report was based on in-depth interviews with survivors and bereaved families of those killed in the atrocity.

It found a catalogue of failings in the response, which included:

• Police were unable to cope with the huge volume of calls to the casualty bureau hotline and struggled to provide reliable information about casualties;

• It took too long to identify victims and some families were not kept in touch with the identification process;

• Only the most severely injured received adequate support and information;

• Those trying to find loved ones found it difficult to locate them;

• Survivors from outside London felt excluded;

• The compensation process was too "bureaucratic, slow and distressing" for already traumatised victims.

In the report, Mr Reid and Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell said: "A crucial lesson we have drawn is that the quality of help received in the first few hours and days can determine for years to come people's reaction to a terrible event of this sort."

The report is one of two being published today concerning the July 7 attacks last year on three London Underground trains and a bus that killed 56 people, including the four suicide bombers.

It is the latest official account of the events surrounding the July 7 attacks to be critical of the British authorities. Previous reports have disclosed that at least two of the bombers were known to security services beforehand, there was a lack of basic medical supplies in the aftermath and there was a "completely unacceptable" failure to care properly for thousands of survivors.

Today's report revealed that the police casualty bureau received more calls in the first 24 hours than any previous emergency in Britain. However, the report said the bureau found it "very difficult" to obtain reliable information about casualties and was "overwhelmed by thousands of calls, made worse by technical problems".

Many survivors were left with no access to information or support to help them cope with the trauma of the attacks. They were left feeling "forgotten or unimportant", the report admitted. Survivors could not get regular updates about the progress of the investigation. The report also revealed that concerns over the Data Protection Act delayed information reaching survivors.

Richard Barnes, chairman of the London Assembly's July 7 Review Committee, said: "Our investigation taught us that the most important lesson of all is to listen to the experiences of people most directly affected by such incidents. The Committee welcomes the fact that Government has recognised the emergency response to the bombing of London, though commendable, fell short of the ideal."

The report restated the Government's opposition to a public inquiry into July 7, which it said would "divert resources, in terms of personnel, away from the police and security agencies" at a time when they are both investigating the atrocity and trying to detect and prevent future attacks.