Boris Johnson: London in shock and grief over Paris attacks

I have written this morning to Mayor Hidalgo to convey the sense of shock and grief of millions of Londoners at the tragic events in Paris. Our thoughts today are with the victims and their families and with the whole French people.

We regard Paris as our sister city, a place for which we have deep reserves of love and admiration and respect. We are two capitals united in our values - democratic freedom, openness and tolerance. The people who launched the attacks last night have no such values. They wish to undermine the things we hold most precious. They want to set neighbour against neighbour. They want to spread fear.

They will not succeed. As president Hollande has rightly said, they must and will be defeated. We stand ready in London to do everything in our power - to do whatever it takes - to assist in a struggle that embraces us all.