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More than 1,000 members of the emergency services have taken part in the largest-ever simulated terrorist attack held in London.
The Metropolitan Police, including its counter-terrorism investigation teams, London Ambulance Service, firefighters, volunteers and staff at The O2 in Greenwich were involved.
The scenario involved police confronting the immediate threat posed by “terrorists” and then assisting with casualties inside the arena.
Scotland Yard said it was not being carried out in response to any specific threat or intelligence.
Twenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade suicide bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on May 22, 2017.
Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, who directed the exercise, said: “The challenges of dealing with any major incident at a venue on the size and scale of The O2 are extraordinary.
“The learning that we, our emergency services colleagues, local partners and The O2 have gained from this exercise has been invaluable.
“This not only benefits us in London, but we will share any learning we can with other emergency services and concert venues across the country.
“I want to emphasise that this was also not carried out in response to any specific threat or intelligence. The terrorism threat level across the UK is at ‘substantial’ so we always need people to be vigilant, but I hope this reassures Londoners that should the worst happen, that we are ready and prepared to respond in the best possible way.”
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne, of London Fire Brigade, added: “Exercises like this mean that when our firefighters are mobilised alongside our partners, they will know how each organisation responds to terrorism, and it tests our capabilities and coordination.”
LAS Chief Paramedic Pauline Cranmer said: “As London’s emergency and urgent care responders, we must be prepared for a range of major incidents. This includes everything from building fires and transport accidents to severe weather and terrorism.”
Paul Williams, director of safety, security at The O2 adds: “The safety of our guests, staff and performers is always a priority and we are constantly reviewing our processes to ensure we provide a best in class experience for everyone.”
The exercise, held on January 14, also involved NHS England, City of London Police, British Transport Police, Transport for London, London Resilience and Greenwich Local Authority.
As well as testing the on-the-ground response, it also scrutinised control rooms across the capital.
Anyone who sees something that doesn’t feel right, should report it to police via the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321 or in an emergency, dial 999.
