Met stages major incident at shopping centre to test ‘on the ground’ response

The Met held a live training exercise alongside the capital’s other emergency services at a shopping centre this week to test joint response to a staged major incident scenario.  

More than 500 people took part in the exercise at The Glades shopping centre in Bromley on Sunday, including offers from the Met, British Transport Police, London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade, as well as 150 volunteers playing members of the public and casualties.  

The exercise centred around a fictional scenario which included a linked series of knife attacks within a half-hour period, motivated by terrorism.   

It was designed to test the initial “on the ground” response from borough officers and ambulance and fire colleagues, as well as specialist firearms units and investigators as the scenario progressed. 

It also tested casualty management and the teamwork between the emergency services.  

To make the exercise as realistic as possible for the emergency service staff responding, some of the volunteers wore special effects make-up so they looked like wounded casualties.  

Bromley council opened part of its building to set up a notional survivor reception centre, and their staff took part in running this with officers.  

The exercise was not arranged in response to any specific threat or intelligence, but forms part of an ongoing programme of preparation for various types of major incidents, the Met said.

Met Police Detective Chief Superintendent Kris Wright, the exercise director, said: “The Met’s core mission is to keep London’s communities safe, and having the opportunity to hold an exercise in a real town centre location is invaluable in ensuring our officers are well-prepared to deal with a range of incidents.  

“Live-play exercises like this create a crucial sense of urgency, and prepare first responders for what they may face in reality.   

“Emergency response to a major incident is always a team effort, so it is imperative that we ensure joint processes are as robust as possible.”

The Met said the UK terrorism threat level was “substantial”, meaning an attack is likely.

A spokesman from the Met said: “The public needn’t be alarmed, but we would urge people to always be alert and vigilant.

“If you see or hear something unusual or suspicious and think someone may be engaging in terrorist activity, trust your instincts and act by reporting it in confidence at gov.uk/act or to the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency, dial 999.”

Pictured top: More than 500 people took part in the exercise, including offers from the Met, British Transport Police, London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade (Picture: The Met)