New advice for British tourists on how to survive terrorist attack (VIDEO)
British holidaymakers are being urged to watch a new safety video on how to survive a terrorist attack ahead of their summer breaks.
The four-minute clip issued by counterterrorism police adapts the “run, hide, tell” message and depicts a firearms attack unfolding at a hotel.
Just over two years ago, 30 Britons were killed in a terrorist shooting rampage at a resort in Sousse, Tunisia. Seifeddine Rezgui walked off the beach and through the Imperial Marhaba hotel, systematically shooting dead holidaymakers.
Police have emphasized there is no specific intelligence that UK holidaymakers will be targeted this summer, but said the film is part of a general campaign to raise public awareness.
Detective Chief Superintendent Scott Wilson, national coordinator for the Protect and Prepare strategy, told the Press Association that the chances of being caught up in a terrorist incident are “still low” but “sadly we have seen atrocities that take place in the UK and abroad.”
“It is important that everyone stays alert and knows what to do if the worst was to happen.
“As we saw in Tunisia in 2015, any westerner is likely to be a target anywhere in the world,” he added.
“We want people to think of this in the same way they do the safety films 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 video encourages people to first run to a place of safety if possible, leaving belongings behind and bringing others with them.
If there is no place of safety, they should hide by barricading themselves in and turn their phones to silent.
As soon as it is safe, they should alert authorities by using the local emergency number, which is 112 in EU countries.
It comes as the head of the army confirmed plans to the Telegraph to start recruiting senior officers from the civilian population in a “year or two” to meet the challenges of modern warfare.
Experts in cyber technology, logistics and aviation will be targeted to address a high-tech skills shortfall.
