By Danielle NuttallWEARY commuters told of their relief to be home in East Anglia last night after terrorist bombings tore through London.Many of the people travelling home to Ipswich railway station worked in areas affected by the blasts and were either unable to get to work or were forced to remain inside their offices all day.

By Danielle Nuttall

WEARY commuters told of their relief to be home in East Anglia last night after terrorist bombings tore through London.

Many of the people travelling home to Ipswich railway station worked in areas affected by the blasts and were either unable to get to work or were forced to remain inside their offices all day.

One of the first to arrive at Ipswich Railway Station last night was accountant Juliette Brinkley, who is in the early stages of pregnancy.

She said: “I was in a building right over Moorgate Station. I was lucky I came through Liverpool Street at 8am, so I missed the blast.

“All of our guys were accounted for. They either got in early and missed it, or walked in.

“We were told to stay put. They battened down the hatches and left us in the building. We weren't allowed out until 4pm.

“All the roads were cordoned off around our building. It was very scary. I'm extremely glad to be back. I had phone calls from everybody - even friends in Australia and Indonesia. We were told not to go in tomorrow.”

IT engineer Roy Startup, from Ipswich, added: “I got to London at 8.50am just after it happened and they were just shutting Liverpool Street at the time.

“It was very quiet, a bit eerie really. I didn't know what was going on. We just saw blue lights and police charging about and them sealing off the area.

“The mobile system collapsed, so we used landlines to get hold of everyone that we needed to.”

Paul Strowger, from Ipswich, had travelled to London for an IT course and arrived home shortly before 6.30pm.

“When I got to Liverpool Street the station was all shut off. Luckily it was only a 10-minute walk from Liverpool Street. I saw all the police, fire engines and ambulances,” he said.

But some people were so desperate to get out of the capital that they paid for a London cab to take them all the way back to Ipswich.

Meanwhile, at least three officers from British Transport Police and two officers from Suffolk Constabulary were patrolling Ipswich station last night, while the force helicopter was circling above.

Members of St John's Ambulance were also on the platform to offer any support to people traumatised by what they had seen in London.

Acting Sergeant Wil Thompson, of British Transport Police, said: “Our three train stations - Ipswich, Colchester and Chelmsford - had officers there from 9am, basically for public reassurance.

“We have been checking all the trains coming from London, checking for suspect packages. All the stations have been searched. We will be staying here until otherwise advised.”

danielle.nuttall@eadt.co.uk