Britain offers support to France following emergency Cobra meeting

A man lays flowers outside the French Embassy in London, following the death of at least 84 people, including several children, after a terrorist drove a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. Hannah McKay/PA Wire

The 45-minute meeting in Downing Street was chaired by the Deputy National Security Advisor Paddy McGuinness with representatives attending from the Met Police, the Home Office, intelligence agencies and staff from the British embassies in Paris.

The Prime Minister’s spokeswoman said: “They are urgently working with the French authorities and people there on the ground to try and establish how many British nationals have been affected by the incident.

“At this stage we are aware of a small number of British nationals who have been injured. That is the situation as we know it now. Those numbers may change as we establish further information.”

Sylvie Bermann, France's Ambassador to the UK, speaks to the media outside the French Embassy in London, following the death of at least 84 people, including several children, after a terrorist drove a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice. Hannah McKay/PA Wire

Theresa May is in Scotland for talks with Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon but has offered support to French President Francois Hollande.

Britain has so far sent eight consulate staff to Nice with four more travelling there today, and the British ambassador to France, Julian King, has also arrived in the city.

So far more than 80 people have died after a truck drove for a mile through crowds at the Promenade des Anglais celebrating Bastille Day.

The lorry driver was later gunned down by police.

British police already have liaison officers on the ground in France and have offered additional investigative support.

French and British intelligence services already had enhanced levels of communication cooperation following the Paris terror attacks on November 13 2015 and Mrs May’s spokeswoman said that this is continuing.

The British terrorism level remains unchanged at a “severe” grading, with new travel warnings for those going to the South of France.

The Foreign Office travel advice this morning warns that there is a high threat from terrorism in France due to ongoing threats by Islamist terrorist groups. A national state of emergency in the country will remain in place until 26 July.

British police are looking at the security situaiton in the UK and are reviewing security around large public events taking place in the UK over the next seven days.