DOZENS of relatives and friends of the 67 British victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks will gather in London today for a low-key ceremony to mark its fifth anniversary.

In keeping with their wishes, the Government has organised no official commemoration events. Instead, Robert Tuttle, the US Ambassador to Britain, will lead a quiet ceremony of remembrance at the September 11 memorial garden next to the American Embassy in Grosvenor Square, London.

A twisted metal girder recovered from the World Trade Centre is buried beneath the garden.

A wreath will be laid and there will be a minute’s silence at 1.46pm, when the first aircraft hit the northern tower of the World Trade Centre.

Jim Cudmore, who lost his son, Neil, in the attack, is treasurer of the September 11 UK Families Support Group, which meets twice a year in London. He said: “The fifth anniversary isn’t special to us. It’s exactly the same as the others.”

Others will mark the anniversary at home. In Hayle, Cornwall, family and friends are planning a ceremony to remember Rick Rescorla, the head of security at Morgan Stanley, who helped to evacuate 2,700 people from the southern tower then stayed to help police and fire crews.

His cousin, Jon Daniels, said that there would be a low-key gathering at the town’s memorial to Mr Rescorla, who sang Cornish songs to keep spirits up during the evacuation.

There will be free concerts this evening in Grosvenor Square and in Bath as part of the worldwide September Concert series of performances to mark the anniversary.

About 25 relatives of British victims are expected to attend a commemoration at the British Memorial Garden in New York, half a mile from the World Trade Centre site.

The Duke of York will speak briefly and meet victims’ families who have flown out.“It is incredible to see the strength of character these families have shown in the face of such adversity,” he said yesterday.

He recalled how he feared for the life of his former wife, the Duchess of York, on the day of the attacks. He was on a flight to the US when the twin towers were hit and his aircraft was turned back. He knew that she was in New York and had an office in the World Trade Centre, but he was unable to make contact.

“It was difficult to remain calm when I had to sit in the plane unable to communicate with New York, knowing that my ex-wife, Sarah, had an office in the World Trade Centre and was in New York at the time,” he recalled. “I had some small insight into the anguish many families were suffering that day.”

The duchess will also be at the hour-long ceremony, which will feature music from the choir of Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel, the West Yorkshire Police brass band and the New York Scottish Pipes and Drums Band.

A group of 67 British police officers will form a guard of honour on the perimeter of the garden, representing the 67 Britons killed.

In the City of London, thousands of workers will mark the anniversary with fundraising events and a minute’s silence.

Zara Phillips, the Queen’s granddaughter, and the cricketers Shane Warne and Andrew Flintoff will help traders at the interdealer bond broker BGC, based in Canary Wharf, to raise money for charities.

The investment bank Cantor Fitzgerald, which lost 658 members of staff, 12 of whom were British, when the northern tower was hit, and BGC will donate their global revenues from the day’s trading, including commission from sales.

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