CHRISTMAS shoppers are being urged to put security ahead of new winter campaign ACT: Action Counters Terrorism.

This week the Counter Terrorism Police have launched their 'biggest' advertising campaign as part of ACT.

Merseyside Police have pledged their support to the national campaign and although there is no known increased threat - people are urged to stay vigilant and report anything suspicious.

Officers from Counter Terrorism Policing will be asking businesses to think about their contingency plans - this includes a 'Sixty Second Security' plan.

The 'Sixty Second Security Check List' includes:

  • Who is appointed to make decisions on the shop floor, and do they know what they’re doing?
  • How do you enter and exit the building in emergency?
  • How do you lock down quickly?
  • Where can you hide?
  • How do you communicate and how do you stay updated if you find yourself in a RHT scenario?
  • Have you briefed your staff?

National coordinator for protect and prepare, chief superintendent Nick Aldworth said: “As people are enjoying the festive season they will see a visible security presence with police patrols and additional security in crowded places.

“Unpredictable deployments across the UK will also provide an additional layer of protection, with specially-trained uniformed and plain clothes officers working to deter, detect and disrupt hostile reconnaissance and encourage the public and businesses to be their extra eyes and ears and report anything that doesn’t feel right.

“This includes asking retailers and other businesses to consider my ‘Sixty Second Security’ plan, which is a quick checklist of questions every member of staff should be able to answer in order to drastically improve reaction times in the event of an emergency.

“I want staff working in crowded places to know who is appointed to make decisions on the shop floor, how to enter and exit a building in an emergency, how to lock down or where to hide if needs be.

“Last year on Oxford Street we saw a fight at a Tube station cause panic when people believed that a terrorist attack had occurred. In the rush to keep themselves safe, some people suffered serious injuries and businesses were severely disrupted.

“By working alongside those businesses, we have learnt from that experience and I believe that our sixty second check will better prepare us to deal with something similar in the future.”

The winter advertising campaign aims to encourage the public to remain vigilant, look out for suspicious behaviour and inform people how to report their concerns.

Anyone who hears and witnesses something suspicious, report it to police in confidence at gov.uk/ACT or call 0800 789 321.