THE Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, condemned the terrorist attack as "cowardly".

And he praised Londoners for their calm and courageous response to the outrage.

"Innocent people from all of London's communities have been targeted by this indiscriminate attack," he said.

"I urge Londoners from all of this city's diverse communities and faiths to support one another and stand together against terrorism.

"On behalf of all Londoners, I want to express my deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who have been killed and to all of those who have been injured," he said.

"I commend the professionalism and courage of the Metropolitan Police, Transport for London staff, and the ambulance, fire and other emergency services."

Speaking later from Singapore, Mr Livingstone said the blasts were "mass murder by terrorists bent on indiscriminate slaughter".

"I want to say one thing to the world: this was not a terrorist attack against the mighty or the powerful," he said.

"it is not aimed at presidents or prime ministers, it was aimed at ordinary working-class Londoners, black and white, Muslim and Christian, Hindu and Jew, young and old.

"It was an indiscriminate attempt to slaughter, irrespective of any considerations for age, for class, for religion, or whatever.

"That isn't an ideology, it isn't even a perverted faith, it's mass murder.

"We know what the objective is. They seek to divide London, to turn Londoners against each other.

"London is the greatest in the world, because everybody lives side by side in harmony.

"Londoners will not be divided by this cowardly attack.

"They will stand together in solidarity alongside those who have been injured and those who have been bereaved and that is why I'm proud to be the Mayor of this city."

In a message aimed directly at the terrorists "who came to London to take life", the Mayor added: "I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others, that is why you are so dangerous.

"But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society, and I can show you why you will fail.

"In the days that follow, look at our airports, look at our seaports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential.

"They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free.

"They come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves.

"They flee you because you tell them how they should live.

"They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. "Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail."