Vehicles as a Weapon remains a real danger

Scott Gibbons has highlighted the danger Vehicle as a Weapon (VAW) attacks pose to logistics businesses and UK citizens, saying that the 2016 attack in Nice was a ‘game changer’.

Speaking to the Freight Transport Association, Counter Terrorism Policing’s Gibbons said that the Nice terror attack, where a 19-tonne lorry truck drove into a large crowd, ignited an international security policy shift that is still in force today. He said that, while VAW attacks were not a new concept, ‘because Nice led to such a huge loss of life, industry approached the police to ask what it could do to prevent future attacks’.

Gibbons has also warned against complacency in the UK, saying that although the threat levels has recently been lowered, ‘it doesn’t mean there is no chance of an attack’.

In an interview with FTA’s Logistics Magazine, Gibbons urged logistics companies to ensure that they have a good security and business continuity plan in place; advising transport operators to read the guidance available and engage with their local Counter Terrorism Security Adviser. Businesses can also help the fight against terrorism by identifying and reporting unusual behaviour.

Scott Gibbons has been working on behalf of the National Coordinator, Protect and Prepare, engaging with the transport industry and partners to jointly work on mitigating this type of threat.