Crowds gathered in silent tribute in Luton

Many people left their places of work to pay tribute to the dead and injured.

At Liverpool Street and Kings Cross, the gateway to London for thousands of the region's commuters, silence fell.

In Luton the Muslim mayor, Haji Abid, led tributes and in Cambridge hundreds stood with heads bowed in the market square to remember the victims.

Among them was Hisham Croydon, honorary secretary of the Cambridge Muslim Society, who said the silence symbolised the unity of the British people.

Among the missing Richard Gray, 41, from Ipswich, Suffolk Richard Ellery, 21, from Ipswich, Suffolk James Adams, 32, from Peterborough, Cambridgeshire Ojara Ikeagwu, 55, from Luton, Bedfordshire Phil Beer, 22, from Borehamhood, Hertfordshire Benedetta Ciaccia, 30, of Norwich, Norfolk Fiona Stevenson, 29, from Baddow, Essex Giles Hart, 55, from Hornchurch, Essex Carrie Taylor, 24, of Billericay, Essex

In Luton mayor Mr Abid condemned the four bombers, saying they did not speak for any community - only themselves.

He said now, more than ever, it was vital to stand firm as a community in the face of such great provocation.

Among the hundreds of schools where pupils joined the silence was the multi-faith Bretton Wood Community School in Peterborough where there were readings in Arabic and English.

At Northamptonshire County Cricket Club players and staff gathered in silence on the pitch.

Guards outside the United States Air Force base at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk stood to attention to observe the silence. Traffic entering the base came to a standstill for two minutes.

At least 53 people were killed and 700 were injured in the blasts. Four bombers are also believed to have died.