Police roll out anti-terror net of spikes that can stop a speeding 17-ton lorry
A SPIKED net designed to stop a vehicle being used for a terrorist attack has been unveiled by Scotland Yard to protect public gatherings in the capital.
The heavy net, bristling with tungsten steel spikes, can stop and trap a 17ton lorry and was on standby for the first time to protect yesterday’s Naval Associations Parade in Central London.
The Met Police said the device could be laid out in less than a minute and halted even heavy vehicles by puncturing tyres and then entangling itself in the wheels.
Protecting crowds from attacks has become a priority after terrorists used vehicles to plough into pedestrians in a string of atrocities committed in Britain and on the Continent.
The device, known as Talon, was laid out in Whitehall yesterday morning as hundreds of Royal Navy sailors and veterans paraded in front of the Cenotaph. A police spokesman said: “The system is designed to ensure that the vehicle skids in a straight line, significantly reducing risk to crowds and producing a well-controlled stop, after which officers can engage with the driver.
“When the equipment is deployed, signs are placed in front and behind the net site advising both road users and pedestrians that there are spikes on the road. The device was “likely to become a familiar sight at events that attract large crowds in London”.
Both Isil and al-qaeda are known to have called on followers to carry out vehicle ramming attacks. On Bastille Day last year, 86 people died in Nice when a lorry ploughed into crowds. Twelve people were killed in a similar way at a Berlin Christmas market. Both the Westminster and London Bridge attackers in the UK began their killing sprees by driving into pedestrians.
Steel and concrete barriers have become common at public events and tourist spots in Britain’s cities – and have already been fitted along nine London bridges.
Chief Inspector Nick Staley, of the Met’s security operations unit, said: “This equipment undoubtedly has the potential to save lives and is just one of a number of measures being taken to provide protection to crowds attending major events in London and reassuring businesses, workers and visitors as they go about their daily lives.”