The UK terrorist threat level is currently ‘substantial’, which means an attack within our shores is likely. MI5 provide more information on the possible nature of these threats.
Reacting the right way in a terrorist incident could make a big difference to you and others. Here’s the Ready Scotland advice.
If you’re caught in an incident
Counter Terrorism Policing guidance sets out three key steps for keeping safe in the event of a firearms or weapons attack – run, hide tell.
- run – to a place of safety. This is a far better option than to surrender or negotiate. If there’s nowhere to go then…
- hide – it’s better to hide than to confront. Remember to turn your phone to silent and turn off vibrate. Barricade yourself in if you can. When it is safe to do so…
- tell – the police by calling 999
How to help
Remain vigilant. Counter Terrorism Policing UK advise that if you notice some activity or behaviour that strikes you as not quite right, trust your instincts and tell the police. They can judge whether the information you have is important or not. There are several ways to report your concerns securely:
- in an emergency or any urgent matter, call 999
- if it is a non-urgent matter, report it to Police Scotland by calling 101
- there is a dedicated police counter-terrorism hotline on 0800 789 321 - your call will be handled by specially trained officers who will treat it in the strictest of confidence
- you can also report possible terrorist activity in the UK, or activity that might affect the UK, online to Counter Terrorism Policing
- if your information does not relate to an imminent threat, you can contact the Security Service (MI5) directly - again, you can remain anonymous
Your information may help save lives.
- remain vigilant for anything that seems out of place or unusual on trains or at stations, such as an unattended bag or someone who could be concealing something under their clothing
- if you see something that doesn’t feel right, report it to British Transport Police, or tell a member of rail staff or a police officer
- when travelling on the national rail network you can call British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40, text them on 61016 or report via the Railway Guardian app
Further information
- counter-terrorism policy in the UK is reserved to the UK Government and is led by the Home Office's Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism
- you can access the latest counter-terrorism support and guidance, including campaign information, at Protect UK
- many aspects of preparation, prevention and dealing with the consequences of a terrorist act in Scotland are managed by the Scottish Government and Scottish organisations - further details of how we do this can be found on the Scottish Government website