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UK MPS get advice on how to handle 26/11-style attack

November 16, 2010 15:00 IST
British parliamentarians and workers at Westminster have been told to get out of the building and the area that it occupies as quickly as possible in the event of a 26/11-style terror attack.

A note circulated on Monday, however, said there was currently no specific threat to the parliament, but experts believed providing information in advance was crucial in helping people to make the best decisions in an emergency.

Earlier this month, British home secretary Theresa May said the government's anti-terrorism strategy included planning for an event similar to what took place in Mumbai in November 2008, when gunmen targetted two five-star hotels -- Taj Mahal and Trident -- apart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Leopold Cafe and the Chabad House and killed over 160 people.

Monday's advice was circulated by the sergeant who oversees security in the House of Commons and Lords, and was based on police advice, the Daily Express reported.

A spokesman said, "We have contingency plans to cover a range of emergencies, of which this is one. It does not relate to a specific threat. We do not comment in detail on security matters."

Source: ANI