National exercise to test terrorism response

The emergency services have undertaken a three-day exercise in Buckinghamshire to rehearse their response to a major terrorist attack.

Alongside the government and other public services, the simulated incident, designed to ensure the right plans are in place to respond quickly and effectively, tested the multi-agency approach to responding to an attack involving hazardous materials.

Simulating a chemical incident, the exercise is the largest of its kind to take place this year and involved more than 40 different agencies and more than 500 people. Observers from police forces around the UK and representatives from governments around the world watched the exercise which showcased the UK’s well-developed response to a terrorist incident.

Security Minister Ben Wallace, said: “Exercises like these take place throughout the year to ensure that the emergency services and government are prepared to respond should an attack take place. They form one part of our comprehensive counter-terrorism strategy.

“We don’t conduct these exercises to cause alarm. They should be a source of reassurance that we have plans in place to deal with the diverse range of threats we face. It is our ambition to stop attacks long before they happen and our police and security service have disrupted 13 Islamist and 4 extreme right wing plots since the beginning of 2017, however, anyone that has concerns or suspicions should report them to the police.”