A series of terrorist bomb blasts in London has left at least 12 people dead and almost 200 injured.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said it was a barbaric terror attack and security experts have pointed the finger at al-Qaeda. An Arabic-language news website reported a group calling itself "Secret Organisation - al-Qaeda in Europe" has posted a claim of responsibility for the blasts on a website popular with Islamic militants.

Mr. Blair said he was flying back from the G-8 summit at Gleneagles, Scotland, to talk "face-to-face" with the police and members of his cabinet who are coordinating the response to the attacks.

The British Prime Minister told a news conference,  "It is important that those engaged in terrorism realize that our determination to defend our values and our way of life is greater than their determination to cause death and destruction to innocent people in a desire to impose extremism on the world. Whatever they do, it is our determination that they will never succeed in destroying what we hold dear in this country and in other civilized nations throughout the world."