London Bombings Survey
MORI conducted a survey for King's College London on how Londoners were affected by the bombings on 7th July. The survey aimed to inform the advice and help given to people, should this happens again. The results of the survey were analysed and reported in the British Medical Journal in August 2005.
Topline Results
- Topline based on 1,010 interviews conducted with a representative sample of Londonders aged 18+.
- Fieldwork took place on 18-20 July 2005.
- The survey was conducted over the phone using random dialling.
- Quotas were set by gender, age, working status, location (inner/ outer London), housing tenure, and ethnicity. Data have been weighted by gender, age, working status, ethnicity, tenure, and location, to reflect the London profile.
- Unless otherwise specified, the base of each question is 1,010.
- Where base sizes are less than 30, results are given in absolute figures (n) rather than percentages.
- An asterisk (*) denotes a finding of less than 0.5% but greater than zero.
- If figures do not add up to 100% this is due to multiple responses or computer rounding.
Q1 I am going to read out four issues facing the world today. Please can you tell me which, if any, of these is the most serious threat to the future wellbeing of the world?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Global warming | 35 |
| HIV / Aids | 15 |
| Population growth | 10 |
| Terrorism | 38 |
| None of these | 1 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q2 On a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 is not at all and 4 is a lot, at the moment, to what degree do you feel your life is in danger as a consequence of terrorism?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 0 not at all | 16 |
| 1 | 27 |
| 2 | 29 |
| 3 | 15 |
| 4 A lot | 12 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q3 On a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 is not at all and 4 is a lot, at the moment, to what degree do you feel the lives of your close family members or those dear to you are in danger as a consequence of terrorism?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 0 not at all | 15 |
| 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 26 |
| 3 | 16 |
| 4 A lot | 16 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q4 How likely do you think it is that London will experience another terrorist attack in the near future? Would you say it is...
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very likely | 51 |
| Somewhat likely | 36 |
| Not very likely | 9 |
| Not at all likely | 3 |
| Don't know | 2 |
The following questions are all about your experiences on the day of the London bombings on Thursday 7th July.
Q5 Approximately at what time of the day, if at all, did you FIRST hear that there were one or more explosions on London's transport system on Thursday 7th July?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Before 9am | 8 |
| Between 9am and 10am | 43 |
| Between 10am and 11am | 30 |
| Between 11am and noon | 10 |
| Between noon and 2pm | 5 |
| Between 2pm and 4pm | 1 |
| After 4pm | 1 |
| Did not hear about the bombings on the day itself | 1 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q6 How did you FIRST hear about the explosions? Base: all except those who did not hear about the bombings on the day (1,005)
| % | |
|---|---|
| TV | 24 |
| Radio | 18 |
| Internet | 4 |
| Family or friend | 26 |
| Work colleague | 16 |
| From someone in the street | 4 |
| Saw / experienced explosions personally | 1 |
| Other | 6 |
Q7 When you FIRST heard that the explosions on 7th July were probably due to bombs, were you... Base: all except those who did not hear about the bombings on the day (1,005)
| % | |
|---|---|
| At home | 44 |
| At work or college | 36 |
| On public transport | 4 |
| Or somewhere else | 16 |
| Don't know / can't remember | * |
Q8 When you FIRST heard that the explosions were probably due to bombs, were you...? Base: all except those who did not hear about the bombings on the day (1,005)
| % | |
|---|---|
| A In Central London (that is zone 1) | 22 |
| B Outside Central London (that is zones 2-6) | 65 |
| C Or not in London at all | 13 |
| Don't know / can't remember | * |
Q9 During the day, the police made several recommendations about what people should or should not do. Which, if any, of the following recommendations did you hear?
| % | |
|---|---|
| A That people should not travel into Central London | 79 |
| B That people already in Central London should remain inside their homes or workplaces | 66 |
| C That people should check their radio or TV for emergency information | 50 |
| D That it was safe for people in Central London to leave their homes or workplaces after 4pm | 20 |
| E That it was safe for people to return to their normal routine in Central London the next day | 46 |
| None of these | 5 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q10 And which, if any, of the following did you actually do on the day? Bases Q10A: All who heard the advice at Q9A and were not in Central London at Q8A (638)Q10B: All who heard the advice and were already in Central London at Q8A (158)Q10C: All respondents (1,010)
| % | ||
|---|---|---|
| A Travel into Central London, after you heard the advice not to | 4 | Note: 4% of people who heard the advice not to travel into Central London and were not already in Central London when they heard about the bombings did travel to Central London |
| B Leave your home or workplace before 4pm, after you heard the advice not to | 37 | Note: 37% of people who heard the advice that people already in Central London should remain inside their home or workplace, and who were in Central London when they heard about the bombings, did leave their home or workplace before 4pm |
| C Check your radio or TV for emergency information | 73 |
Q11 On average, how many days per week do you work in Central London, if at all?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 1 day per week | 5 |
| 2 days per week | 2 |
| 3 days per week | 3 |
| 4 days per week | 3 |
| 5 days per week | 18 |
| 6 days per week | 2 |
| 7 days per week | 2 |
| Don't know | * |
| Don't work in Central London | 66 |
Q12 Did you return to work the day after the bombings? Base: All who work in Central London at least one day a week (351)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 61 |
| No | 39 |
| Don't know | * |
Q13 During any part of the day, were you told by the police or other officials to evacuate from where you were, for example to evacuate from a tube, a street, a building, or some other place?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 4 |
| No | 95 |
| Don't know | * |
Q14 After you were evacuated, did you...? Base: all who were evacuated (43)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Remain in the area | 22 |
| Leave Central London completely | 7 |
| Go to work | 19 |
| Go home | 38 |
| Go to a public area such as a cafй, pub,restaurant etc. | 8 |
| Go somewhere else | 10 |
| Get taken to hospital | - |
| None of these | 2 |
Q15 After you heard about the explosions, did you go to one of the explosion sites or to another cordoned-off area?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 3 |
| No | 97 |
| Don't know | * |
Q16 Which, if any, of the following applied to you on the day of the bombings?
| % | |
|---|---|
| I felt that I might be injured or killed | 8 |
| I felt that a family member or close friend might be injured or killed | 60 |
| I saw someone who was injured or killed | 3 |
| A family member or close friend was injured or killed | 3 |
| None | 34 |
| Don't know | * |
Q17 At any time during or around the time of the bombings, how sure or unsure were you about the safety or whereabouts of any close friends or relatives who may have been in Central London?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very sure | 17 |
| Fairly sure | 25 |
| Fairly unsure | 27 |
| Very unsure | 20 |
| Did not know any friends or relatives in Central London | 10 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q18 On the day of the bombings, did you try to check the safety of any immediate family members or friends?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes, tried to check | 76 |
| No, did not try to check (and did have some family members / friends in Central London) | 9 |
| No, did not try to check (but did not have any family members / friends in Central London) | 14 |
| Don't know | * |
Q19 How long from the time you first heard about the bombings was it before you were sure about the safety of all the people you were worried about? Base: All who were unsure about the safety of immediate family or friends (778)
| % | |
|---|---|
| 0 to 2 hours | 51 |
| 2 to 4 hours | 17 |
| 4 to 6 hours | 10 |
| 6 to 8 hours | 6 |
| More than 8 hours | 16 |
| Don't know | * |
Q20 On the day of the bombings how many people, if any, did you attempt to contact by mobile phone?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 14 |
| 2 to 5 | 38 |
| 6 to 10 | 12 |
| More than 10 | 7 |
| None | 29 |
| Don't know | * |
Q21 Overall how easy or difficult was it for you to contact other people by mobile phone? Base: all who attempted to contact at least two people by mobile phone on the day (587)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very difficult | 54 |
| Fairly difficult | 24 |
| Fairly easy | 13 |
| Very easy | 9 |
| Don't know/cant remember | 1 |
Q22 Do you have any children under the age of 18?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 31 |
| No | 69 |
Q23 Was/ were your child(ren) in school in London on the day of the bombings? Base: All who have children aged under 18 (318)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 55 |
| No | 44 |
| Don't know | * |
Q24 And which, if any, of the following applied to your children on the day of the bombings? Base: All who have children aged under 18 (178)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Your children were kept in school for longer than usual | 7 |
| You, your partner, or another member of your family attempted to contact your children or the school to check their safety | 24 |
| You, your partner or another member of your family went to the school earlier than usual to collect or to see your children | 26 |
| None of these | 56 |
Q25 On the day of the bombings, did you do anything that you feel particularly pleased or proud about?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 15 |
| No | 84 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q26 not published
Q27 On the day of the bombings, did you do anything that you feel particularly sorry or regretful about?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 6 |
| No | 93 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q28 not published
Q29 I am going to read out a list of different types or sources of information that some people used to find out about the bombings. Please tell me which, if any, you personally used at any point on the day itself?
| % | |
|---|---|
| BBC TV | 77 |
| ITV | 48 |
| Channel 4 | 25 |
| Channel 5 | 17 |
| A satellite or cable TV station such as CNN or Sky | 39 |
| Radio 1 | 9 |
| Radio 2 | 4 |
| Radio 4 | 14 |
| Radio 5 | 5 |
| Any other BBC radio station | 7 |
| Any independent radio station | 23 |
| Any newspaper | 29 |
| Any news website,such as BBC or Sky | 33 |
| An official police website | 1 |
| The Transport for London website | 9 |
| The Mayor of London's website, also called the GLA website | * |
| The UK Resilience website | - |
| The Health Protection Agency web site | 1 |
| The Home Office web site | 1 |
| Another Government or official website | 2 |
| Talking to friends or relatives, either by phone, email or in person | 79 |
| Talking to work colleagues | 47 |
| None of these | 1 |
| Don't know | * |
Q30 Of all the sources of information that you used, which ONE would you say gave you the most reliable information about the bombings? Base: All who used at least one source of information (1,002)
| % | |
|---|---|
| BBC TV | 42 |
| ITV | 8 |
| Channel 4 | 2 |
| Channel 5 | 1 |
| A satellite or cable TV station such as CNN or Sky | 14 |
| Radio 1 | 1 |
| Radio 2 | 1 |
| Radio 4 | 4 |
| Radio 5 | 1 |
| Any other BBC radio station | 1 |
| Any independent radio station | 4 |
| Any newspaper | 1 |
| Any news website, such as BBC or Sky | 8 |
| An official police website | - |
| The Transport for London website | * |
| The Mayor of London's website, also called the GLA website | - |
| The UK Resilience website | - |
| The Health Protection Agency web site | - |
| The Home Office web site | - |
| Another Government or official website | - |
| Talking to friends or relatives, either by phone, email or in person | 3 |
| Talking to work colleagues | 1 |
| None of these | 2 |
| Don't know | 5 |
I would now like to ask you some questions about how you feel after the recent events in London
Q31 How safe or unsafe do you currently feel when travelling in the following ways? If you do not regularly travel in these ways please say so. For each please tell me whether you feel very safe, fairly safe, fairly unsafe or very unsafe.
| Very safe | Fairly safe | Fairly unsafe | Very unsafe | Not applicable / never use this mean of transport | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| By tube | 8 | 33 | 19 | 17 | 23 | * |
| On an overground train | 16 | 40 | 10 | 7 | 26 | * |
| By bus | 15 | 44 | 12 | 7 | 21 | * |
| By car | 49 | 30 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 1 |
| Going into Central London | 15 | 45 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 1 |
| Going elsewhere in the UK | 40 | 45 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
Q32 Once the London transport system is back to normal, do you think you will travel more often or less often in the following ways, or will the London bombings make no difference to how often you travel in the following ways... Bases: all who use this mean of transport or go to Central London
| Bases | More often | Less often | No difference | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| By tube | (786) | 2 | 30 | 67 | 1 |
| On an overground train | (748) | 4 | 13 | 82 | 1 |
| By bus | (794) | 5 | 14 | 80 | * |
| By car | (842) | 11 | 3 | 85 | 1 |
| Going into Central London | (921) | 2 | 20 | 78 | * |
| Going elsewhere in the UK | (921) | 3 | 4 | 93 | * |
Q33-37 For each of the following please tell me whether you have been feeling that way not at all, a little bit,moderately, quite a bit, or extremely. As a result of the London bombings to what extent have you been bothered by...
| Not At All | A Little Bit | Moderately | Quite a Bit | Extremely | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| Feeling upset when something reminds you of what happened | 31 | 27 | 16 | 15 | 10 | * |
| Repeated,disturbing memories, thoughts, or dreams about what happened | 76 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Having difficulty concentrating | 82 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | * |
| Trouble falling or staying asleep | 85 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Feeling irritable or having angry outbursts | 75 | 11 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Q38 How much, if at all, have you talked with someone else about your thoughts and feelings about what happened? Would you say...
| % | |
|---|---|
| A great deal | 23 |
| A fair mount | 48 |
| Not very much | 22 |
| Not at all | 7 |
| Don't know | * |
Q39 As a result of the bombings, have you spoken to a psychiatrist, psychologist, counsellor or other mental health specialist?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 1 |
| No | 99 |
Q40 As a result of the bombings, do you think that you need to speak to a psychiatrist, psychologist, counsellor or other mental health specialist?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 1 |
| No | 98 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q41 As a result of the bombings, have you spoken to a religious advisor or leader?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 4 |
| No | 96 |
Q42 Prior to the bombings, which, if any, of the following applied to you?
| % | |
|---|---|
| I have been involved in a real terrorist incident before | 9 |
| I have been involved in a false alarm about terrorism | 24 |
| I have had to evacuate from the underground network before, even for a false alarm | 20 |
| None of these | 58 |
| Don't know | * |
I would now like to ask you some questions about any preparations you might have made BEFORE the bombings, in case of an emergency.
Q43 On a scale from 0 to 4, where 0 is not at all and 4 is very much, how much do you believe that you would know what best to do if you were caught in a terrorist attack?
| % | |
|---|---|
| 0 Not at all | 27 |
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 26 |
| 3 | 19 |
| 4 Very much | 8 |
| Don't know | 3 |
Q44 In the past year, have you or anyone in your household received a leaflet from the Government containing advice about what to do in the event of an emergency or disaster?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 47 |
| No | 49 |
| Don't know | 4 |
Q45 Did you read the leaflet? Base: all who have received the leaflet (481)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 79 |
| No | 19 |
| Don't know | 2 |
Q46 Do you still have the leaflet? Base: all who have received the leaflet (481)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 44 |
| No | 48 |
| Don't know | 8 |
Q47 In the case of an emergency,which, if any, of the following do you know about...? Bases A,C,D,E,F,G: All respondents (1,010) Base B: All who have children aged under 18 (318)
| % | |
|---|---|
| A Where and how to turn off water, gas and electricity supplies in your home | 77 |
| B The emergency procedures for your children at school * | 41 |
| C The emergency procedures at your workplace | 53 |
| D How your family would stay in contact in the event of an emergency | 66 |
| E If you had any elderly or vulnerable neighbours who might need your help | 55 |
| F How to tune into your local radio station | 79 |
| G How to search the internet for emergency advice or information | 55 |
| None of these | 3 |
| Don't know | * |
* Note: 41% of parents with children under the age of 18 -- not of all respondents -- know the emergency procedures for their child(ren) at school.
Q48 Which of the following items, if any, have you gathered at home in case of an emergency?
| % | |
|---|---|
| A list of useful phone numbers, such as your doctor's and close relatives' | 79 |
| Toiletries,sanitary supplies and any regular prescribed medication | 53 |
| A battery radio, with spare batteries | 41 |
| A first Aid kit | 65 |
| Candles and matches | 71 |
| None of these | 8 |
