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| UK armed police told to race to stop terrorists and ignore the dying | |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Firearms officers called to tackle terrorist gunmen have been ordered to ignore the injured and dying in the event of a UK attack and instead race towards the threat to try to minimise the total number of casualties in such a situation, a police chief has said. | Firearms officers called to tackle terrorist gunmen have been ordered to ignore the injured and dying in the event of a UK attack and instead race towards the threat to try to minimise the total number of casualties in such a situation, a police chief has said. |
| Since the terror attacks in Paris last month which claimed 130 lives, British police have been urgently reviewing their tactics. Police chiefs are trying to reassure the government and the public that they could deal with such an event, where multiple targets are hit by a team of terrorists targeting civilians with automatic weapons. | Since the terror attacks in Paris last month which claimed 130 lives, British police have been urgently reviewing their tactics. Police chiefs are trying to reassure the government and the public that they could deal with such an event, where multiple targets are hit by a team of terrorists targeting civilians with automatic weapons. |
| Pat Gallan, Metropolitan police assistant commissioner for special crime and operations, said armed officers had been told to ignore the wounded, even if that included their colleagues, and prioritise arresting or shooting the armed terrorists. | Pat Gallan, Metropolitan police assistant commissioner for special crime and operations, said armed officers had been told to ignore the wounded, even if that included their colleagues, and prioritise arresting or shooting the armed terrorists. |
| Security chiefs believe Islamic State (Isis) forces have changed how they would kill their victims so officers would have to storm in immediately, rather than contain a scene while negotiations take place. | Security chiefs believe Islamic State (Isis) forces have changed how they would kill their victims so officers would have to storm in immediately, rather than contain a scene while negotiations take place. |
| Gallan said: “We are asking them to do something different from what they did previously. It’s not about standing back but about going forwards towards the threat. In that there may be casualties and in meeting that threat they will have to look over casualties that might have been injured and wait until it’s safe for someone else to go and help.” | Gallan said: “We are asking them to do something different from what they did previously. It’s not about standing back but about going forwards towards the threat. In that there may be casualties and in meeting that threat they will have to look over casualties that might have been injured and wait until it’s safe for someone else to go and help.” |
| The UK’s plans for tackling a terrorist attack involving gunmen have been evolving since 2008, when extremists in Mumbai staged multiple gun and bomb attacks before taking hostages at three sites for nearly three days. | The UK’s plans for tackling a terrorist attack involving gunmen have been evolving since 2008, when extremists in Mumbai staged multiple gun and bomb attacks before taking hostages at three sites for nearly three days. |
| In the Bataclan theatre in Paris, where most of civilians were killed on the night of the 13 November attacks, gunmen started their massacre after bursting in. French security forces thus stormed the theatre immediately and shot the terrorists dead. | In the Bataclan theatre in Paris, where most of civilians were killed on the night of the 13 November attacks, gunmen started their massacre after bursting in. French security forces thus stormed the theatre immediately and shot the terrorists dead. |
| Gallen said the dilemma was “whether you stand back, in which case you may well have more people die, or whether the best thing is to go forward”. | Gallen said the dilemma was “whether you stand back, in which case you may well have more people die, or whether the best thing is to go forward”. |
| She added: “And we’ve been training our officers to go forward. That is going forward in the face of firearms and shots being fired at them as well as potential explosions and such like. We believe that is potentially what will save the most lives.” | She added: “And we’ve been training our officers to go forward. That is going forward in the face of firearms and shots being fired at them as well as potential explosions and such like. We believe that is potentially what will save the most lives.” |
| “In asking them to go forward we are asking them not to give first aid to people injured and it might be their colleagues. | “In asking them to go forward we are asking them not to give first aid to people injured and it might be their colleagues. |
| “The most important thing is to actually get to the threat and stop them killing additional people, and that is why we’ve got to keep going forward and not tend to those that are injured at the time.” | “The most important thing is to actually get to the threat and stop them killing additional people, and that is why we’ve got to keep going forward and not tend to those that are injured at the time.” |
| Scotland Yard said it could cope with a Paris-style attack despite being a largely unarmed police force. It insisted they did not have a shoot-to-kill policy despite the threat of carnage from rampaging gunmen. | Scotland Yard said it could cope with a Paris-style attack despite being a largely unarmed police force. It insisted they did not have a shoot-to-kill policy despite the threat of carnage from rampaging gunmen. |
| Gallan said: “There has never been a shoot-to-kill policy. It is not the policy of British policing, nor will it be.” | Gallan said: “There has never been a shoot-to-kill policy. It is not the policy of British policing, nor will it be.” |
| Even in the direst situations, police chiefs have previously said they would try to arrest if possible and use minimum force. Gallan said: “Every shot they fire they know they are accountable for under the law.” | Even in the direst situations, police chiefs have previously said they would try to arrest if possible and use minimum force. Gallan said: “Every shot they fire they know they are accountable for under the law.” |
| Firearms officer have been warned they may face suicide bombers or terrorists armed with AK-47s or other automatic weapons. | Firearms officer have been warned they may face suicide bombers or terrorists armed with AK-47s or other automatic weapons. |
| On Tuesday, firearms officers staged a training exercise in which they stormed a building taken over by terrorists. Dramatic footage showed armed officers scouring the building floor by floor, opening fire and using stun grenades in the practice assault. Gallan denied the exercise was in any way linked to Wednesday’s vote in parliament on whether Britain will join military action in Syria. She said the exercise had been planned months ago. | On Tuesday, firearms officers staged a training exercise in which they stormed a building taken over by terrorists. Dramatic footage showed armed officers scouring the building floor by floor, opening fire and using stun grenades in the practice assault. Gallan denied the exercise was in any way linked to Wednesday’s vote in parliament on whether Britain will join military action in Syria. She said the exercise had been planned months ago. |
| In London, the Met police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, has ordered an increase in patrols of armed response vehicles (ARVs). A third more will be on patrol than before the Paris attack, driving around the streets. | In London, the Met police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, has ordered an increase in patrols of armed response vehicles (ARVs). A third more will be on patrol than before the Paris attack, driving around the streets. |
| ARVs would be first on the scene, with other specialist firearms officers sent from their bases. The Met created an SAS-style unit of armed officers to counter the threat of a terrorist gun attack in Britain. | ARVs would be first on the scene, with other specialist firearms officers sent from their bases. The Met created an SAS-style unit of armed officers to counter the threat of a terrorist gun attack in Britain. |
| The 130 counter-terrorism specialist firearms officers have trained with the army’s special forces to respond to assaults such as those in Mumbai in 2008 and the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, which developed into a siege. The army could be called in, but it would take time for them to reach the scene. | The 130 counter-terrorism specialist firearms officers have trained with the army’s special forces to respond to assaults such as those in Mumbai in 2008 and the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi, which developed into a siege. The army could be called in, but it would take time for them to reach the scene. |
| The Commons home affairs committee has heard that more than 100 people are flagged to counter-terrorism units at Britain’s borders every week. The disclosure came as Sir Charles Montgomery, director general of the Border Force, was questioned about the exodus of Britons to fight alongside Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. | The Commons home affairs committee has heard that more than 100 people are flagged to counter-terrorism units at Britain’s borders every week. The disclosure came as Sir Charles Montgomery, director general of the Border Force, was questioned about the exodus of Britons to fight alongside Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. |
| Police estimate that 800 people have made the journey and about half have returned to the UK. | Police estimate that 800 people have made the journey and about half have returned to the UK. |
| Montgomery revealed his organisation was conducting hundreds of checks on routes into and out of the UK. He told MPs: “On the inbound journey, my officers at the desks do a fair amount of their own personal questioning and profiling and on a weekly basis we have been on average referring over a hundred people from that process to CT [counter-terrorism]. | Montgomery revealed his organisation was conducting hundreds of checks on routes into and out of the UK. He told MPs: “On the inbound journey, my officers at the desks do a fair amount of their own personal questioning and profiling and on a weekly basis we have been on average referring over a hundred people from that process to CT [counter-terrorism]. |
| “Let me make it clear – the vast majority of those are not of interest to counter-terrorism police. A percentage get taken forward for further investigation.” | “Let me make it clear – the vast majority of those are not of interest to counter-terrorism police. A percentage get taken forward for further investigation.” |