23/02/2012

London Olympics Terror Attack Drill Completed

A major exercise to test the emergency service and Government response to a terrorist incident during the Olympic and Paralympics Games period has been completed in central London this week.

Exercise Forward Defensive is part of the Government’s regular National Counter-terrorism Exercise Programme and has been jointly developed by the Home office and the Metropolitan Police Service.

The exercise was set in August and tested the response to a terrorist incident on the London Underground network during the Olympic Games.

During the first day of the exercise (22 February) the tactical response on the ground was visible to media and passers-by outside the disused Aldwych underground station in Surrey Street, WC2R, which was used as the venue for the incident.

Home secretary, Theresa May, said: "What I have had is a very positive response from the people here today about how the plans have worked. We continue to make sure we are learning lessons that need to be learned so that we can ensure that people can enjoy the Olympics as a great sporting event and we can provide a safe and secure Olympic and Paralympic Games."

AC Chris Allison said: "Testing and exercising is vital to getting our safety and security operations for the Games right.

"We need to be confident that we have the right people in the right places, that we understand how others operate and that we are talking to each other at the right levels and in the right way.

"This is part of series of exercises which we have run in the lead up to the Games, but this is the first with such a significant response from the emergency services on the ground."

(GK)

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