Met Police holds mock terror drill at Brentford FC

The exercise was designed to test the response of police and other agencies

The Metropolitan Police has held a mock terror attack exercise at Brentford FC's ground to ensure officers are "prepared and not complacent".

The simulation at the west London stadium allowed the police and other agencies to test their responses.

Friday marks five years since the attack at Fishmonger's Hall near London Bridge, in which Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones were killed by convicted terrorist Usman Khan.

Det Ch Supt Kris Wright told BBC London that "we can always do more and always learn more", which is why agencies engage in scenario-based exercises.

'Good nuggets of information'

The BBC was given behind-the-scenes access to the emergency planning exercise at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium.

In the exercise, stadium staff and police responded to a theoretical terror attack on a football ground and nearby station.

Included in the exercise was a scenario involving a man armed with a knife and explosives.

Det Ch Supt Wright says such exercises can help agencies learn for the real thing

Det Ch Supt Wright said that London was in an "incredible position" to respond to terrorist attacks but that "we need to exercise and test ourselves". He added that the public "should not be overtly concerned".

"I need everyone to be vigilant and report anything out of place but they should be reassured that when we have to do this for real, it's not the first time we’ve done it," he told BBC London.

He said Millwall FC played host to a similar exercise last month, during which police found "really good nuggets of information"from the response.

Dave Gregg, head of operations and facilities at Brentford, said the exercise tested his staff beyond the "normal table-top scenario".

"We test out processes on a regular basis and while you cannot be 100% sure, I am confident that we are as prepared as we can be for any eventuality," he said.

A 2022 review of London's preparedness for a terrorist attack by Lord Harris recommended that such exercises should be conducted regularly.

The report states: "Regular exercising forms the proverbial ‘muscle memory’ which enables those responsible for leading and delivering the response in the chaos of an attack and its aftermath to do so capably and confidently."