Jowell tells firefighters of British gratitude

Tessa Jowell, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, met firefighters yesterday who battled to save victims of the New York terrorist attack.

Ms Jowell, who has responsibility for co-ordinating support for the British relatives of the victims of the strikes on the World Trade Centre, also delivered personal letters of thanks from Tony Blair.

The Prime Minister had intended to meet firefighters and police during his visit to New York last week, but had to cancel that part of his visit to meet President George Bush. His wife, Cherie, and the former US president Bill Clinton met the emergency workers in his place, and Ms Jowell visited the same fire station yesterday.

She said: "British families owe an enormous debt of gratitude to these firefighters, who lost 10 of their members when the twin towers collapsed. They need to know how grateful we are for what they have done to save the lives of British people in this unprecedented tragedy."

Hundreds of Britons are missing and feared dead after the attack, plus some 350 firefighters and police.

Ms Jowell met firemen Tom Woods and Captain Mark Munnelly, who hugged Mrs Blair during her visit. Capt Munnelly also hugged the Culture Secretary, and said later that both visits had meant a lot to him and his men.

Ms Jowell said the attack was "almost certainly the biggest ever terrorist atrocity against British subjects" and said Britain was likely to be the second worst affected country, after the United States.