Police launch children safety campaign

A new ACT for YOUTH campaign has been launched to teach 11-16 year-olds how to act in the unlikely event they are caught in a terrorist attack. Based upon the ‘Run, Hide, Tell’ public information films, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office has said that the campaign will advise the school-aged children to warn others about an on-going threat, and not to stop and use their mobiles phones until they are safely away from danger. It is hoped that the Run, Hide, Tell advice will eventually make up part of the PSHE curriculum in schools and colleges. Lucy D’Orsi, Deputy Assistant Commissioner, said: “We appreciate that talking to young people about terrorism can be scary, for parents and children alike. But the atrocities in London and Manchester have sadly resulted in some of the youngest victims of terror this country has ever seen, and if we are able to teach children to act in a way which could potentially save their lives then it is our responsibility to do so. “We are particularly concerned when we see people – young and old – using their mobiles to film scenes when they should be moving away from the danger. The recent incident in Parsons Green is a good example of this. Our research showed that many young people think filming would be a good thing to provide evidence for police. We must get them to understand that the priority must be their safety.”