What to do if you’re caught up in a terrorist attack

If you’re caught up in a terrorist attack, official Counter Terrorism Police guidance recommends following the three principles of ‘Run’, ‘Hide’ and ‘Tell’.

Run

This principle emphasises you should escape if you can. Important things to remember:

• You should consider whether this is the safest option. It may be there is no safe escape route, in which case it may be safer to hide.
• It’s important to consider whether you can escape without exposing yourself to greater danger.
• You should leave your belongings behind.

Hide

If you cannot escape (run), you should hide. Important things to consider:

• Find cover from the attack.
• Remember that being covered from view does not guarantee your safety – for example, bullets can pass through walls, brick, wood and metal.
• If you can see the attacker, that means they might see you.
• Be aware of potential exits and try not to hide somewhere where you could become trapped.
• Make sure you keep quiet and that your phone is on silent (not on vibrate).
• It may be a good idea to lock the door or barricade yourself in.
• You should move away from the door where possible.

Tell

If you call 999 but it’s not safe for you to speak or make a noise, you can press 55 to let the call taker know it’s a genuine call. This is called the ‘Silent Solution’.

The call taker will give you instructions and you respond by coughing or tapping your device when it’s safe to do so.