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Emergency crews tested with 'terror attack' drill

Eleanor Maslin and Grace McGrory
BBC News
Grace McGrory/BBC A blonde-haired woman with sunglasses on, a white top and black trousers is being held up by three people dressed in yellow high-vis and helmets. She has a shocked looked on her face. A few people are in the background, along with a police vehicle and a sign that says student's union.Grace McGrory/BBC
More than 60 volunteers participated in the event, playing the role of victims in the simulated terrorist attack

An exercise to test the "ability of emergency workers in dealing with a terrorist attack" was carried out in Lincoln earlier.

It was held at the University of Lincoln and simulated someone driving into a crowd and then stabbing people.

Participants included more than 200 personnel, including police, fire and rescue and the ambulance service. More than 60 volunteers played the role of victims.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Davison, from Lincolnshire Police, said the exercise showed they were "in a good place to be able to respond as and when they happen".

Grace McGrory/BBC A white van with red hand marks on it and several people walking, standing around or lying on the floor. You can see someone holding on to the side of the van and someone else lying underneath it in front of a building with several posters outside.Grace McGrory/BBC
The exercise involved someone pretending to drive into a crowd before stabbing people

The exercise began at 11:00 and concluded at 13:00 BST, with the area closed off.

It was organised as part of a general training programme and not in response to any specific intelligence or threat, Lincolnshire Police added.

ACC Davison said while terrorist attacks were "particularly rare" in the county, it was still "hugely important" to be prepared.

He said: "We're not immune here in Lincolnshire.

"People automatically think of big cities as being targets because they're so densely populated and while that is true it's not out of the question that something like this could happen in a less busy city.

"The national threat remains at 'substantial' and so we have to ensure we are as prepared as we can be in the event that terrorism does come to our county."

He said there were no "particular threats" to the University of Lincoln, it was just chosen because it was a "good venue".

Grace McGrory/BBC Two women sat on a stone bench in front of a car park. They are both wearing a green and white lanyard. One woman has dark sunglasses on and blonde hair half tied up and the other has dark sunglasses on her forehead with her hair tied back. One is wearing a black top and the other a white top with a lemon on itGrace McGrory/BBC
Phoebe Mather, left, and Becca Howseman, right, are urgent care assistants for East Midlands Ambulance Service and acted as victims

East Midlands Ambulance Service care assistants Becca Howseman and Phoebe Mather played two of the key roles in the exercise.

Ms Howseman said the role included "causing chaos, confusion and being the barrier between medics and the main casualties".

Ms Mather added: "One day we will be the people who are in the ambulances actually treating these patients.

"For us, it's a lot of exposure seeing how everything works and how it's all put together."

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