Run away! Britain’s top counter-terror officer tells Britons to ‘run as far as possible then hide’ if there are attacks in London 

  • Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley issues advice
  • Says ‘run, hide, tell' guidance could help save lives in terror attack
  • Public make 3,600 ‘contributions’ to fight against terrorism daily
  • Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says UK attack is a case of ‘when, not if’

Britons should ‘run away as far as possible’ if Islamic State terrorists hit London, the country’s most senior counter-terror police officer said today.

Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said people should flee rather than ducking down where they are - and then hide once they cannot flee any further from the attack.

He said it was important for people to call police once they are in a safer location, adding that following the ‘run, hide, tell’ advice could help save lives if terrorists try to cause mass casualties.

Warning; Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said people should flee rather than ducking down where they are during an attack from Islamic State terrorists in Britain

Warning; Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said people should flee rather than ducking down where they are during an attack from Islamic State terrorists in Britain

Mr Rowley told the London Evening Standard: ‘It may seem blindingly obvious, but some people don’t run, they will duck down where they are, do all sorts of different things in the panic.

‘So let’s be really clear - run as far away as possible and when you can’t run any further, hide, and then tell - call the police because we’ve got the people, the resources, the firearms to deal with it.’

It comes after Mr Rowley said the public make more than 3,600 ‘contributions’ to the fight against terrorism every day – and that cooperation between the police and the public is a great advantage.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warned in The Mail On Sunday yesterday that a terror attack in Britain is a case of ‘when, not if’.

And in a blog post for the National Police Chiefs Council, Mr Rowley said he ‘couldn't agree more’ with Sir Bernard's assertion that Britain is a ‘hostile environment’ for would-be terrorists.

He added the UK's counter-terrorism advantages include tight gun laws and a close working relationship between police and the security services.

Armed: Mr Rowley said the public make more than 3,600 ‘contributions’ to the fight against terrorism every day – and that cooperation between the police and the public is a great advantage

Armed: Mr Rowley said the public make more than 3,600 ‘contributions’ to the fight against terrorism every day – and that cooperation between the police and the public is a great advantage

Mr Rowley said: ‘But for me our greatest advantage is the cooperation between the public and the police. It has often been said that “communities defeat terrorism” and now that's more important than ever before.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warned that a terror attack in Britain is a case of 'when, not if'

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe warned that a terror attack in Britain is a case of 'when, not if'

‘The true scale of that collaboration is impressive, but rarely explained. The fact is that we see at least 3,639 contributions from the public every day, helping keep us all safe in our collective effort against terrorism.’

Members of the public assisted police by calling the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on average 32 times a day and making on average five referrals of extremist material online and two of potential radicalisation.

Mr Rowley added that, every day, some 300 people visit the Prevent Tragedies website, 1,750 National Counter Terrorism Security Office sessions - where specialist officers advise how to protect homes and businesses - are recorded and 1,550 people either take part in anti-terror briefings or watch a Stay Safe film.

‘Every call, every referral, every briefing is part of our joint fight against terrorism,’ he said. ‘All of these contributions are critically important to our ability to keep each other safe.’

Yesterday, Sir Bernard said that he could not promise an attack will not take place.

Writing in The Mail On Sunday he said: ‘I feel and understand that fear, and as the police officer in charge of preventing such an attack I know you want me to reassure you.

‘I am afraid I cannot do that entirely. Our threat level has been at Severe for two years. It remains there. It means an attack is highly likely - you could say it is a case of when, not if.’

Explaining the work of the police, he pointed to the number of terror plots that had been foiled since the murder of Lee Rigby in 2013, including one to murder officers at Shepherd's Bush police station in West London, and another to carry out a Lee Rigby-style attack on US soldiers in East Anglia.

The UK's top officer also said that the ‘British way of life and culture’ made the UK hostile to terrorists.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.