Met issues advice following Sri Lanka terror attacks
The Met is urging religious groups to heed online guidance in countering potential acts of terrorism in the wake of the Easter atrocities in Sri Lanka.
Eight Britons are among more than 300 people who have lost their lives in multiple attacks on the island, which targeted Christian places of worship and commercial hubs.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, senior national co-ordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said: “My thoughts and condolences are with the people of Sri Lanka and all those who have been affected by the devastating attacks which have claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
“We now also know that at least eight British people were killed during the attacks and counter terrorism policing is working with our colleagues from the Foreign Office to support the families affected.
“A number of churches were targeted during the attacks but we stand together with communities of all faiths, and we will continue to work with our communities and our partners to counter the threat no matter where it comes from.
“Together with our intelligence partners we continually monitor the varied threats we face, including to places of worship and specific communities across the country, to ensure we have the most appropriate protective security measures in place to keep people safe.
“Officers across the UK regularly engage with communities of all faiths, giving advice on how people and places can protect themselves and this work will continue.
I would urge places of worship to also carry out our online training package ‘ACT Awareness eLearning’ for advice on protective security and how to react should the worst happen.
“It can be found at www.gov. uk/government/news/act-awareness-elearning.
“I would also encourage everyone to be aware of our Run, Hide, Tell advice. “We stand together with Sri Lankan communities and all those who have been affected and left shocked and horrified by these attacks in Sri Lanka.”
The public can report any suspicious behaviour or activity to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321, or by visiting www.gov.uk/ACT.
In an emergency the public should always call 999.
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