Staff at the BBC given terrorist escape training in case of a Paris-style attack

EXCLUSIVE: Security chiefs tell workers to ‘escape, run and then hide’ in event of an attack.

BBC's London HQ

THE BBC has ordered staff to prepare for a potential terrorist attack following the Paris massacre.

Security chiefs at the corporation’s central London HQ are in daily contact with MI5 to keep tabs on the threat level. Workers have been invited to awareness sessions based on Met Police advice.


They also got an email advising them to “Escape. Run, then Hide” in the event of an attack and to have a route out planned. It said of armed cops: “They will treat you as an attacker until they know otherwise. Stay calm. Follow instructions. Keep your hands in view and don’t make sudden movements.”

The email said New Broadcasting House, where 6,000 staff are based, was “built to withstand blasts”. It said police visit three times daily, adding: “If there was a threat we would have armed police guarding.”

It comes after the building was sealed off last month due to a suspected car bomb. A spokesman said: “We do not comment on security issues”.