THAMES TERROR
Armed cops storm ‘hijacked’ cruise boat in London as part of anti-terror drill on the River Thames
Two hundred specialist officers surrounded the ship as civilians 'taken hostage' banged on the windows in panic
TWO hundred armed police in London have carried out their first ever anti-terror training exercise on the River Thames - by swooping on a cruise boat "taken hostage" by people playing terrorists.
The drill took place on Sunday and involved specialist police officers dressed all in black surrounding a City Cruises boat travelling along the river in the capital.
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The unit raced down the river at Blackwall Reach, near the Isle of Dogs, and approached the cruise ship as panicked civilians banged on the windows, crying out for help.
The drill, which took place between 9am and 1pm, on Sunday, is understood to be the first time the Metropolitan Police have carried out this type of training on the famous river.
The scenario involved a group of terrorists hijacking a passenger pleasure boat on the Thames and taking a number of hostages, to travel up to Central London to carry out a terrorist attack.
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It tested the Met’s processes right from a 999 call handler receiving the initial call through to getting victims and suspects safely off the vessel once secure.
Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFOs) were deployed during the exercise alongside the Met’s Marine Policing Unit and intercepted the “suspect” vessel, boarding and securing it.
The co-ordination of search and rescue teams was then put to the test with a “dummy” body falling into the river.
Commandos from the Special Boat Service, the sister regiment to the SAS, have been stopping and boarding suspicious vessels in recent months.
And a secretive unit called Alpha Troop, which specialises in defusing complicated bombs, has also taken part in exercises on the river involving fake sniper attacks and high-speed pursuits along the water.
According to the , special forces have been patrolling the Thames amid fears of an attack in the heart of London, possibly on the Thames Barrier which is seen as a potential target.
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Key landmarks, including the headquarters of MI5, MI6 and the Houses of Parliament, which are all within 100 metres of the river, are also thought to be possible targets.
There are also concerns a boat packed with explosives could be detonated beneath a busy bridge.
A source told the paper: "The Thames is a wide open motorway straight into the heart of London.
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"It is a well-known drug smuggling route and if criminals can get drugs into the UK using the Thames then terrorists can get guns into the city in the same way.
"It is not a case of if but when. We know terrorists are planning these attacks and we have managed to disrupt most of them."
The SBS, based in Poole, Dorset, specialise in covert marine warfare. Members of the unit are usually former Royal Marines and are experts in counter-terrorist operations.
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Scotland Yard Commander BJ Harrington, in charge of the Thames exercise, said:
"This was the first time that we've tested together the response of the various agencies that operate on the River Thames to a potential terror attack.
“I’d like to stress that this scenario wasn’t based on any specific intelligence, but it’s important to remember that the threat level for international terrorism in the UK remains at severe.
“This kind of exercise demonstrates that should a terrible event ever happen for real, London is ready to respond in the most efficient and effective way possible.
"With the threat level as it is, we cannot afford to be complacent and the public should always be vigilant and ready to act if the worst were to happen.”
In his review of London's preparedness to respond to a terrorist attack, which was released in October 2016, Lord Harris recommended that security measures on the river be strengthened; something this exercise will also help to achieve.
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The London Ambulance Service, London Fire Brigade and the RNLI were also involved in the drill on the country's busiest waterway.
Today's exercise, which was codenamed "Exercise Anchor", comes just months after it was revealed that Britain's security services were probing at least four plots to commit terrorist atrocities involving shopping centres and stadiums across the UK.
The current terror threat level in the UK is "severe", the second highest position.
This means that an attack is “highly likely” and it is important that members of the public remain vigilant and any suspicious activity can be reported via the Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.
The exercise comes after a shooting at Paris' Orly airport yesterday.
A gunman was shot dead by cops after snatching a female soldier’s assault rifle at the airport and shouting: “I am here to die for Allah – there will be deaths”.
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