Nik Rawlinson

Nik Rawlinson: "As I came back up above ground, though, it was obvious that this wasn’t just a power problem. There were police everywhere. Police cars racing in all directions with their sirens blaring. Fire engines doing the same thing, and almost sweeping the sides off the gridlocked cars as they pulled tight, fast turns around the corners.

I pressed on through the crowds, all the time passing more and more security people. There were queues at the phone boxes as the mobile networks started to collapse in the sheer weight of calls, and then as the networks started to shut out regular subscribers so that the emergency services could use the networks themselves.

I have never seen the streets so busy. Not even on tube strike days, but there was also a little bit of panic in the air. The further I walked, the more senior the police forces started to look. These weren’t just the regular beat police: they were suited-up officers with peaked caps, not helmets, and a fat collection of insignia on their jackets. All looked severe."