Twenty years since the London bombings - is the UK safer?
What's changed since the 7/7 London bombings and are we better prepared for future attacks?
Last updated 11th Jul 2025
It's over two decades since the deadly bombings on London's public transport network killed 52 people, but did that terrible incident make the UK more prepared for acts of terrorism?
In the latest episode of our 7/7 London bombings special programme, we take a look at the police investigation that followed, the impact the event continues to have on those who survived and whether Britain is more prepared for the threat of terrorism now.
LISTEN: Episode two of our documentary '7/7: The London Bombings - Twenty years on':
What happened in the aftermath of the London Bombings?
On the 7th July 2005, four bombs were detonated on three underground trains and a bus in central London, killing 52 people and injuring over 700 more.
An investigation into the bombings on 7/7 started almost immediately with Britain forced to come to terms that these suicide bombers were British men, radicalised in this country.
Emergency and special services were working around the clock to figure out how this had been allowed to happen.
The four suspects were identified, using debris found at the scene, as 18 year-old Hasib Hussain, 22 year-old Shehzad Tanweer, 30 year-old Mohammed Sidique Khan and 19 year-old Germaine Lindsay.
London remained defiant in the wake of the terror attack but it wasn't over yet.
The copycat bombings
On the 21st July 2005, just two weeks after the bombings, there were explosions at Shepherd's Bush Market, Warren Street and Oval stations and on a bus travelling to Hackney Wick.
What follows is the UK's biggest ever manhunt as police search for the four attempted suicide bombers.
Thankfully, all four fail to properly detonate their devices, with the explosions as powerful as a large firework, and no one is killed.
During their efforts to track down those responsible, police shoot Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent man mistaken for one of the suspects.
The shooting sparks outrage with concerns about a rise in Islamaphobia across Britain.
The four Islamist extremists are eventually captured and convicted of conspiracy to murder and jailed for a minimum total of 160 years.
LISTEN: You can hear the first episode of our documentary '7/7: The London Bombings - Twenty years on' below, it looks at how that day unfolded:
Has anything changed since 7/7?
Twenty years on from the bombings and new procedures have been brought in and response plans have been updated as a result of the shortcomings highlighted in the coroner's inquest in the wake of 7/7.
Travis Frain survived the Westminster Bridge attack in 2017, he's been campaigning against extremism ever since.
He tells us some progress has been made but more needs to be done, he says: "There's certainly been a lot of learning curves.
"With respect to support I think things are moving in the right direction, we've heard all the right things from Government.
"My only concern is, as always, is the speed at which that happens.
"We would never want an attack to happen, and hopefully another one doesn't happen, but when an attack doesn't happen for a long time it's very easy for Government to become complacent and to think that on the long list of issues they're dealing with that support for victims isn't a priority.
"If that happens it's never going to get resolved."
The continued threat of terrorism
Security Minister Dan Jarvis tells us counter-terrorism remains a top priority: "Our police and security services are world class and work around the clock to keep this country safe from terrorism.
"That's why we're backing them with an extra £140m for counter-terror policing this year, plus nearly £500m more for our intelligence services, which takes their funding to record levels."
In April this year, legislation requiring event venues to provide staff training on terror attacks and draw up preventative plans became law for the first time.
It was named after Figen Murray's son, Martyn, who was killed in the Manchester Arena bombing in 2017.
The threat level from terrorism in the UK is currently substantial - meaning an attack is likely.
The Government says since 2017 agencies and law enforcement have disrupted 39 late-stage terror plots - there have been 15 domestic terror attacks.