Peter Jones: Oxford Circus False report spreads panic…

As the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Robert Doyle, arrives in London ahead of next week’s UK Security Expo, there could not have been a starker reminder of the tensions people are feeling with the panic caused by reports of shots fired at Oxford Circus tube station on Friday evening.

You can just imagine the scene in a packed Oxford Circus tube station at one of the busiest times, on one of the busiest days of the year. An altercation on the platform, a scream from someone caught up in it somehow and the inevitable questions from people in the foot tunnels and on the escalators – “what was that, what is going on?.”, Then an evacuation announcement comes over the station speaker system, and somehow – someone hears the word “shot” – they repeat it out loud, the crowd begins to panic, people are shouting there are shots – someone posts it on twitter more people dial 999 – the police activate a well-rehearsed “potential terrorist incident” protocol and Oxford Circus, parts of Oxford Street and Regent Street are cordoned off and evacuated.

So, what was happening? As the panic surged through the evacuating crowds the mantras “If you see something, say something and Run, Hide, Tell” will have been going through people’s minds. “Say something, say something……” Texts to the British Transport Police on 61016 were flying out, … “tell, tell,” 999 is dialled frequently, run, run – panic, pushing, shoving, people getting injured…. And all because of an altercation and someone speculating on what has happened without knowing or confirming.

This incident highlights some real areas that need to be explored and lessons identified.

Some facts, the joint BTP, MET Police and TFL incident protocol worked like clockwork. All of their preparation, rehearsing and readiness paid off in another amazing display; one can have only a huge respect for all involved and the back up the Ambulance service and Fire service provided. From first call to all clear in such an environment in about 90 mins was spectacular.

The people of London are aware of the threat, it is in the backs of their minds, whether local or visitor it is there and that is probably why someone thought this was a developing terrorist incident and uttered the word “shot.” People are rightly nervous but how do we better communicate the threat?

The mantras “If you see something, say something and Run, Hide, Tell,” worked and people are listening. However, the question “must these be reviewed and another message put out for an incident in a crowded place?” now needs to be asked with 16 people injured.

The speed of social media in getting messages around is fantastic, until it is passing something inaccurate and maybe there is a need for greater counter messaging ability within the emergency services?

The response of the stores on Oxford and Regent streets were great in sheltering people and their security staff did an amazing job, but how do we make it better, how do we improve cooperation and accurate communication in a rapidly evolving incident?

All of these questions and more will be addressed on Wednesday and Thursday at the UK Security Expo in Olympia. So why is the Mayor of Melbourne coming, he is at a very high level Safer Cities Briefing, hosted by the Metropolitan Police and Home Office, alongside UK Security Expo, with representatives from many of the global cities hit by recent terrorist atrocities to discuss the very lessons we need to learn collectively that tie in with the Oxford Circus incident.