A DOUBLE-DECKER which was hit in a suspected arson attack last night was the replacement tribute for the bus destroyed in the 7/7 bombings.

The vehicle, specially named 'The Spirit of London', was unveiled in October 2005 to honour the 13 people who died in the Tavistock Square blast earlier that year.

The bus was engulfed in flames in Selborne Road, outside Walthamstow Central station, just after 12.30am (Friday October 19).

No-one was injured but the entire top floor was badly damaged.

A spokesman for operator Stagecoach London described the suspected arson as "an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives in those terrible events of seven years ago".

He added that the firm were hoping the damage could be repaired.

The bus has been in service on a number of routes since 2005 but was operating on the number 69 route last night.

Transport for London (TfL) said they believed the fire was started deliberately and denied rumours there had been an engine fault.

There are reports that the fire started after a row between two female passengers and the bus driver. TfL said no members of the public were on board when the blaze was first discovered.

Mike Weston, Operations Director for London Buses, said: "[the] bus, operated by Stagecoach, suffered suspected malicious fire damage to its upper deck.

"There were no injuries and Stagecoach has supplied the bus's CCTV footage to the Metropolitan Police to assist with their investigations.”

Photographs taken by passers-by appear to show that the blaze started at the back of the bus's top floor and then spread.

The Stagecoach spokesman said: "No-one was injured in the incident, however the upper deck of the bus is largely burnt out.

"We can confirm the bus affected was the Spirit of London, a double-decker which replaced the vehicle destroyed in the 7 July bombing in 2005, which killed 13 passengers.

"Today's mindless vandalism shows a complete disregard for the safety of other people and is an insult to the memory of those who lost their lives in those terrible events of seven years ago."


A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade said they were called at 12.37am.

Five fire-fighters brought the blaze under control by around 1.05am.

The number 69, which is a 24-hour service, runs between Walthamstow Central and Canning Town Bus Station via Plaistow, Stratford, Leytonstone and Leyton.

A total of 52 people were killed and 770 injured in four bomb attacks on the public transport network in July 2005.

The British-designed £160,000 replacement double-decker was unveiled by the then London Mayor Ken Livingstone and was emblazoned with the words 'Spirit of London' on its front.

The Guardian is awaiting a statement from Waltham Forest Police.

Did you see what happened? Contact reporter Daniel Binns on 0779 547 6625 or via email at dbinns@london.newsquest.co.uk