Winter vigilance campaign launched by CT Policing

The police officer responsible for protecting the UK against terror attacks has said that recent incidents across Europe warn us that we must be vigilant against more than coronavirus this winter.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi believes that the recent terror attacks in France and Austria are a tragic reminder that the threat of terrorism has not diminished during the pandemic.

Launching the Winter Vigilance campaign, D’Orsi, the Senior National Coordinator for Protect and Prepare, has advised that just like in the fight against coronavirus, we all have a part to play in protecting ourselves and others against the threat of terrorism.

She said: “With Covid-19 still casting a shadow over everyone’s lives, it is understandable that terrorism isn’t something most people are thinking much about right now. But recent attacks across Europe have shown us that the threat of terrorism has not gone away, and in fact the UK’s terror threat level has just been raised to SEVERE – meaning an attack is highly likely.

“I must stress that there is no intelligence to link those attacks in Europe to the UK, but as we move out of the tightest lockdown restrictions into a busy shopping period in the run-up to Christmas, we want the public to be vigilant against more than just the virus. Similar to tackling Covid-19, defeating terrorism requires a collective community effort – where police, security staff, retail workers and the public come together to minimise the chance of attack.”

CTP and local forces work throughout the year with businesses across the country to give advice and guidance on safety and security measures.