A police chief today warned commuters to be “alert not alarmed” as it emerged most people think a terror attack on the UK is likely within 12 months.
Deputy Chief Constable Adrian Hanstock, from the British Transport Police, urged the public to carry on with daily life despite research saying 82 per cent think an attack “likely” or “highly likely”.
It also showed a third of people would consider avoiding travel to central London after the Brussels and Paris strikes and a quarter have felt nervous a fellow passenger may be a terrorist.
Dep Chief Con Hanstock said: “One aim of terrorists is to intimidate and cause fear.
“Tackling those who seek to disrupt our way of life is never going to be easy, but with the public and the authorities working together we can help manage the risks more easily.
“The public should be alert but not alarmed and trust their own instincts. If they see anything that strikes them as not quite right or out of place they should report it. No piece of information will be considered too small or insignificant.”
The BMG Research analysis found that following Paris and Brussels even more people, 87 per cent, think a strike is either “likely” or “highly likely” in the next five years.
Some 34 per cent said they would “consider avoiding travelling to the centre of London” after Paris and Brussels.
Around 19 per cent said they had felt at risk while in a theatre, cinema or club and around 23 per cent said they had been in a venue and taken time to work out what to do in the event of a terror attack.
Meanwhile 28 per cent said they had “felt nervous that a fellow passenger on public transport may be a terrorist”.
Dep Chief Con Hanstock said the results showed the public are not being “overly alarmed” by the threat from terrorism.
Offering practical advice, he said people should always report unattended bags and packages to staff or a police officer and keep personal belongings close.
He added: “Passengers and rail staff are the eyes and ears of the transport network and we encourage them to work with us and report anything suspicious to the confidential Anti-Terrorist Hotline on 0800 789 321. In an emergency always call 999.”
