West Quay Shopping Centre Used as Terror Attack Back Drop

Emergency Services  have staged a mock terror attack at the West Quay  shopping centre in Southampton over the weekend. The multi million pound shopping played backdrop to the training exercise involving a number of emergency service personnel from the Hampshire Fire and Rescue, Hampshire Police and Paramedics from South Central Ambulance service and took place when the centre was closed to the public on Sunday evening.   The  exercise had been in the planning for a year and specifically focuses on a major firearms incident and  was used to test how specially trained fire fighters respond alongside other emergency services at a crowded place, had it been  a  genuine incident. Masked and hooded men “opened fire” in the packed  Shopping  centre  on Sunday evening. Fire fighters and Hart Paramedics from South Central Ambulance Service dressed in bullet Proof vests wearing Kevlar helmets  were presented with  the scenario involving  80 ‘casualities. The simulated event has been hailed as a great success and one that could save lives should it  every need to be put into action.