Plan for terrorist attack abroad, holidaymakers told
HOLIDAYMAKERS should learn what to do in the event of a terror attack abroad in the same way they watch inflight safety videos, police have said.
Counter-terrorism authorities last night urged travellers to watch a government film that contains tips on how to survive a Tunisia-style terrorist incident.
The four-minute film depicts a firearms attack in a hotel and adapts the existing “run, hide, tell” anti-terrorism safety message.
Two years ago, 30 Britons were killed in a terrorist shooting attack at a resort in Sousse, Tunisia.
Seifeddine Rezgui walked off the beach and through the Imperial Marhaba hotel, systematically shooting holidaymakers.
Police have emphasised there is no specific intelligence that UK tourists will be targeted by terrorists this summer, but said the film is part of a general campaign to raise public awareness. Det Chief Supt Scott Wilson, national coordinator for the protect and prepare strategy, said: “The chances of being caught up in a terrorist incident are still low, but sadly we have seen atrocities take place in the UK and abroad.
“So it is important everyone stays alert and knows what to do if the worst was to happen.
“We want people to think of this in the same way they do the safety film airlines show before take-off. They don’t expect anything bad to happen but it is a sensible safety precaution to show people what to do.”
The “run, hide, tell” message was first introduced by UK police in December 2015 after the Paris attacks.
The guidance says that people should run to a place of safety if there is a safe route, leaving belongings behind and insisting that others go with them.
If there is nowhere to go, then they should hide by barricading themselves in and turn their phones to silent. Then, only when it is safe, they should alert the authorities by calling the local emergency number, which holidaymakers should find out in advance. For EU countries it is 112.
Mr Wilson said: “As we saw in Tunisia in 2015, any westerner is likely to be a target anywhere in the world.
“That’s the sad reality of it. The chances of it happening are still very low. We’ve seen attacks in numerous countries so we are trying to say western tourists overseas should be aware of what they should and shouldn’t do if they are caught up in such an attack.”
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a Foreign Office minister, also encouraged people to watch the film before they go away on holiday.
He said: “While there is no specific information that British holidaymakers will be targeted this summer, it sets out some simple steps we can all take to minimise the impact of an attack if one does take place.”