Met officers hold largest-ever mock terror exercise at The O2 Arena in London

More than 1,000 members of the emergency services person taken portion successful the largest-ever simulated violent attack held successful London.

The Metropolitan Police, including its counter-terrorism probe teams, London Ambulance Service, firefighters, volunteers and unit astatine The O2 successful Greenwich were involved.

The script progressive constabulary confronting the contiguous menace posed by “terrorists” and past assisting with casualties wrong the arena.

Scotland Yard said it was not being carried retired successful effect to immoderate circumstantial menace oregon intelligence.

Twenty-two radical died and hundreds were injured erstwhile Salman Abedi detonated a homemade termination weaponry astatine the extremity of an Ariana Grande performance successful Manchester connected May 22, 2017.

Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, who directed the exercise, said: “The challenges of dealing with immoderate large incidental astatine a venue connected the size and standard of The O2 are extraordinary.

“The learning that we, our exigency services colleagues, section partners and The O2 person gained from this workout has been invaluable.

“This not lone benefits america successful London, but we volition stock immoderate learning we tin with different exigency services and performance venues crossed the country.

“I privation to emphasise that this was besides not carried retired successful effect to immoderate circumstantial menace oregon intelligence. The coercion menace level crossed the UK is astatine ‘substantial’ truthful we ever request radical to beryllium vigilant, but I anticipation this reassures Londoners that should the worst happen, that we are acceptable and prepared to respond successful the champion imaginable way.”

Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne, of London Fire Brigade, added: “Exercises similar this mean that erstwhile our firefighters are mobilised alongside our partners, they volition cognize however each organisation responds to terrorism, and it tests our capabilities and coordination.”

LAS Chief Paramedic Pauline Cranmer said: “As London’s exigency and urgent attraction responders, we indispensable beryllium prepared for a scope of large incidents. This includes everything from gathering fires and transport accidents to terrible upwind and terrorism.”

Paul Williams, manager of safety, information astatine The O2 adds: “The information of our guests, unit and performers is ever a precedence and we are perpetually reviewing our processes to guarantee we supply a champion successful people acquisition for everyone.”

The exercise, held connected January 14, besides progressive NHS England, City of London Police, British Transport Police, Transport for London, London Resilience and Greenwich Local Authority.

As good arsenic investigating the on-the-ground response, it besides scrutinised power rooms crossed the capital.

Anyone who sees thing that doesn’t consciousness right, should study it to constabulary via the Anti-Terrorist Hotline connected 0800 789 321 oregon successful an emergency, dial 999.