UK Security threat level raised.

[RoyHudd]

As of this afternoon, the threat level has been raised to severe. (an attack is highly likely). This came through BALPA to it's members.

What can the bad guys be up to now? Let us all hope that they are intercepted, or that they screw up, which is usually the case.

[fantom]

Or both - which is usually the case.

[arearadar]

Either would be OK as long as they only kill themselves and nobody else gets hurt, or killed.

Dave:ugh:

[Sepp]

iirc, we've been at "Severe" since Sept, 2010...

edit/ on reflection maybe that was just NI. /edit

further edit/ hmm. According to MI5, we've been at Severe since 22 Jan 2010.

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/output/threat-levels.html /edit

[lomapaseo]

What can the bad guys be up to now? Let us all hope that they are intercepted, or that they screw up, which is usually the case.

Well they are probably happy to at least get the threat level raised in their name.

If they can also get the news media to play this up even more for them and scare away some passengers it will be a win win for them without risking their lives.

[Tiny Monkey]

BALPA with their finger on the pulse as ever :D

[coldair]

Sorry all, but it's been at 'Severe' for months now.

Keep safe all :)

[nippysweetie]

Indeed it has. And police are playing down TV reports that there are more officers at south-east transport hubs.

[AltFlaps]

Maybe an apology from BALPA who caused every flight ops management team in the country to run around this afternoon wondering what the hell they'd missed?

But no, that's not BALPA's style is it?

[dilldog01]

Don't think it's BALPA's fault..more the DfT who issued a severe warning

[Hotel Mode]

Isnt it the aviation threat level that has been raised to severe? Thats quite different from the general threat level (that was already severe). This is a change, and it probably ought to concern us.

Please feel free to continue having a go at BALPA for no reason though.

[AltFlaps]

Thank you, I will - they've done me an inordinate amount of damage over the years!

From looking at the Home Office and Mi5 websites, None of the Threat Levels changed today

[gusting_45]

It has been Severe recently only for incoming flights. Substantial for outgoing flights.

Perhaps it is now severe for both.

[PAXboy]

The BBC is saying:

The terrorist threat level specific to major UK transport hubs has been raised from substantial to severe, the BBC understands.

My emphasis, full story here. BBC News - UK terrorism security threat level raised at airports (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12133290)

[Load Toad]

Thank god that we've warned the terrorists we are really keeping beady eye on them today.

[remoak]

Yeah I'm sure they had no idea that security forces might be interested in them... :rolleyes::ugh:

[peterpallet]

So Britain doesn't want to be left out !!!!!!

[dilldog01]

as said the overall UK security level was at severe however DfT have issued a severe warning specifically mentioning transport hubs

[Hotel Tango]

A spokesman for airports operator BAA said: "Security at our airports remains at a high level and we remain vigilant at all times."

That makes me laugh. Airport (and railway) terminals are as vulnerable as ever. The truth is that the authorities can do and say what they wish but it will NEVER stop a determined and suicidal group of extremists.

You just have to live life normally and hope that you're not in the wrong place at the wrong time. A bit like an RTA (Road Traffic Accident).

[green granite]

It's because the DfT know the Aussies are bad losers when it comes to cricket. :E :E

[parabellum]

If the security forces make no exra effort and a bomb goes off, they will be blamed. If they take extra precautions and a bomb doesn't go off they won't get any praise, just miserable whingers wanting to know why their tax dollars/pounds are being wasted on fruitless exercises.

Damned if they do, damned if they don't.

[ceedee]

Reuters says (http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTRE7061LV20110107):
Britain has not raised its national terrorism threat level nor a separate threat gauge for airports and railway terminals, police said on Friday, after reports that security had been stepped up at transport hubs.

London's Metropolitan Police, the force responsible for coordinating counter-terrorism nationally, said it had no knowledge of the threat level being raised from "substantial" to "severe," the second highest level, at major airports and railway terminals, as reported by the BBC and other media.

"We never discuss security. We never say its been stepped up or stepped down -- so I really don't know where this has come from," he added.
Perhaps someone could ask the DfT (and BALPA)?

Heck of a way to devalue the alert status!

[dhc83driver]

I`m amazed to the lack of understanding from professionals in the industry.

Threat to uk aviation and uk threat level are two different things.

A general announcement is not made, only to effected groups

Threat to uk aviation was decreased from Severe to Subtantial in august and has now been raised again to Severe. That is what Balpa informed us of. The fact is we were at Severe for so long before August i think everyone got use to it!

[Load Toad]

>Parabellum,

Why does issuing a warning to the public, this kind of abstract and ambiguous warning help?

Warning people involved in security, the police and such - I can understand & with those types then some specific details about the threats might well be useful.

But tell the public? We are Warning Fatigued! No one listens & no one cares. The threats are vague, they rarely result in anything and when something does happen it is either successful because it can not be noticed or it is so amateurish it is blatantly obvious and fails.

Constantly crying wolf is counter-productive and just looks stupid.

We've been at war for 10 years now and are quite used to seeing the coffins of troops being returned home & reading of drone attacks in AllBranistan - we know well enough that we need to watch out. For people with underpant bombs and such like....









What is the difference between Substantial and Severe? Where's the list that explains what we are supposed to do differently? How more 'observant' do we need to be? How....?

[dixi188]

At BFS last evening, security said the threat level had been raised to "Critical" for cargo.

Although I see on the Home Office website that NI is "Severe" and GB is "Substantial"

[First.officer]

If BALPA had sent this kind of attachment with their wonderfully enlightening text message, then a few questions may well have been answered !:-

"I have had a few enquiries yesterday following a suggestion that our security threat level had been increased to SEVERE (Terrorist attack highly likely). There has also been mention of the news this morning.

Last year, being a government body, MI5 decided to complicate things and have different levels for different threats (more specifically, Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, JTAC). The National threat level was raised to severe in January last year and has stayed there ever since. In september, threat levels from Irish terrorism was published for the 1st time, Northern Ireland being Severe and the rest of GB being Substantial (terrorist attack is a strong possibility).

The terrorist threat level specific to transport hubs has been increased from substantial to severe in response to an overall elevated threat of terrorism in the country, although there is no intelligence of a possible imminent attack. The heightened alert level, which authorities have called precautionary, includes airports and London railway terminals; an increased police presence at related transports hubs across the United Kingdom is expected. The overall national threat level remains at severe; the sub-grading of specific sectors of the national infrastructure is usually not made public. However, it is believed that authorities announced the change to alert the public and raise awareness around major transport hubs. Intelligence reports in October 2010 had raised Europe-wide concerns about an alleged al-Qaeda plot to launch 'Mumbai-style' terrorist attacks in France, Germany and the UK. The arrest of nine people in the UK at the end of December on charges concerning an alleged plot for a bomb attack during Christmas furthermore indicates the persistent risk of a possible terrorist risk, which may particularly target the transport sector. Travellers are advised to exercise caution in the vicinity of all public transport terminals and should report any suspicious persons or packages to the relevant authorities.

Threat levels in themselves do not require specific responses from the public or industry. They are a tool for security practitioners working across different sectors of what we call the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and the police to use in determining what protective security response may be required. By its very nature, intelligence cannot be revealed completely and there will always be limitations to what we can say about security and the responses we have planned.

Back in December, the Metropolitan Police Service launched a campaign called 'If you suspect it, report it' to raise awareness of the threat to the UK from terrorism and published the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321.

So, what does this all mean for us? Well, not a lot. We all just have to be mindful that we all operate as part of a very valuable but fragile infrastructure. We should be looking at planning for extra time for security at airports, especially if we are a commercial passenger as extra checks are likely and may take longer that usual.

I hope this is useful but should you have any concerns or queries, please do not hesitate to call..."


Now, i'll be the first to admit that the Security Officer at my employer is exceptionally good, but could BALPA not have come up with something very similar ???................

[Load Toad]

Travellers are advised to exercise caution in the vicinity of all public transport terminals and should report any suspicious persons or packages to the relevant authorities.

We've been doing that from the late 1960's haven't we?

[ReverseFlight]

If you click the homepage of CNN today, the Quickvote poll is "Do you pay any attention to terror threat alerts ?"
CNN.com International - Breaking, World, Business, Sports, Entertainment and Video News (http://edition.cnn.com/)
At 4243 votes, "No" = 61% and "Yes" = 39%. :ugh:

[Hotel Tango]

I certainly don't pay any attention to them. Don't misunderstand me, I don't go around thinking it can't happen to me - quite the contrary. The reality is that we are ALWAYS under threat of one form or another, be it terrorism or otherwise. I do my best to be vigilent, but at the same time I won't get paranoid and let it affect my life. I remain realistic and if it happens than so be it. There's still statistically a much higher chance of me getting hurt (or dying) in a road traffic accident. I'm of course happy that the various authorities do all within their powers to avert terrorist attacks and I always cooperate with them, but these public alerts do nothing else but put the fear of God in those of a nervous disposition.

[aztruck]

Funnily enough, got an email from my company about security. It was marked confidentiaI, which I suppose means...do not phone the BBC or post on pprune. The Balpa one may be similar, but I'm not a member so would'nt know.
l

[BOAC]

Just look at it this way, boss.

At least they know that we know that they know that we know.........................:(

[MrBernoulli]

Why does issuing a warning to the public, this kind of abstract and ambiguous warning help? I personally believe that warnings like that are intended more to let the miscreants know, that the authorities know, that they are being watched, i.e. a signal that says "We know you are on the verge of trying something ......". It may prevent mass casualties, if it puts off the miscreants from an imminent attack. Or, it may create 'intel chatter', from nervous miscreants, that allows the authorities to home in closer to the trouble makers.

Breaking up a plot depends on whether the authorities have enough info/evidence to move in, arrest and bring to trial, said miscreants. I am willing to believe that there are authorities who accept the risk of allowing a plot to come to fruition (with subsequent casualties), if it later allows a greater round-up of miscreants. IMHO.

[ExMedevac]

The 3rd possibility is, someone needs the public eye off himself for a while, so this new alert was put out there with great fanfare to keep the sheeple in their place.