Are Britain’s unprotected sea-side towns a target this summer?

TERROR ATTACKS: Experts warn large promenades in seaside towns are targets for ISIS

As security in Europe’s capital cities tightens up, in an effort to limit random, unprovoked Islamic attacks on women and children the targets for terror simply move outside the protective perimeter.

Last year’s horror attack, on unsuspecting citizens along Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, certainly lead to new security arrangements in that area.

But security experts recognise there is no way of preventing so called low tech attacks outside the cities.

It was revealed that ISIS had ordered more ‘truck attacks’ only ten days prior to Las Ramblas by calling for followers, already embedded in Europe, to ‘ram their crowds until the streets run with their filthy blood.’

There are now signs that ISIS terrorists are planning to replicate the Barcelona attack in smaller, provincial British towns by targeting open promenades in the hope of maximising casualties.

This is being considered a clear warning to open sea-front towns like Brighton, Blackpool, Worthing and Torquay where thousands gather to enjoy the seaside with their ice creams and fish & chips.

It is also considered to be impossible to predict or prevent such random, murderous attacks on innocent people other than to extend the security cordon right out to the ports and borders.


2017: A year of TERROR on Britain’s streets?

Privately everybody admits that the only way to limit the risk is to close the borders and deport everybody who is already on a watch list. A list that is thought to have 23,000 names on it and 10% of those are considered a ‘current threat.’

Why those 3000 ‘current threats’ are not rounded up and interned or deported is not being explained. That question is simply not being answered, other than the usual concerns about Civil Liberties and ‘people’s rights.’

Don’t people also have a right to walk along the promenade with an ice-cream free from the fear of being crushed to death underneath a stolen transit van?

There is no doubt that citizens in the so-called ‘unprotected’ area will be taking their own precautions, including arming themselves.

ISIS in Britain
DS – BRITAIN: ISIS may target towns with large promenades for Las Ramblas style ram attacks ISIS expert Kyle Orton, from the Henry Jackson Society, told Daily Star Online how provincial towns in the UK remain at risk from jihadi truck attacks.

What is obvious now is that terrorists in Britain face a choice. Either to target a handful of people in closely monitored cities such as London and Manchester or to kill large numbers of people in provincial towns, or ‘soft targets’ as they are becoming known.

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Recent highly publicised and successful vehicle attacks are thought to have motivated and inspired other, currently dormant, jihadis to carry out copycat attacks.

Bastille Day
GETTY – NICE ATTACK: The truck massacre on Bastille Day started the new wave of ISIS truck attacks
Las Ramblas
GETTY – BARCELONA: 13 people died when a suspected jihadi ploughed down Las Ramblas

There are two distinct motives behind the location of a jihadi attack, which are geography and symbolism. There is a tradeoff to be made between choosing a high profile target and maximising casualties.

In London and Manchester there is also a trade off between security and public access. Officials cannot close everywhere and even when access for vehicles is prevented there is no way of stopping four or five committed jihadis carrying knives and machetes attacking on foot, as we saw in London’s Borough Market earlier in the year.

And when it comes to protecting provincial towns it is impossible to stop large scale vehicle attacks without using Northern Ireland style military checkpoints in and around each location.

Which effectively means rapid response units are only available to deal with secondary attacks and not the initial incident during which citizens are entirely exposed and defenceless.

London bridge attack
GETTY – LONDON BRIDGE: Jihadis drove a truck across the bridge months after an attack on Westminster

He said: ‘Some of the smaller forces do not have the same resources and having to balance a budget means they have fewer officers. There has been a culture of trying to do more with less, but that is something that can be easily exploited.’

John Apter of the Police federations Hampshire branch claimed rural police would be “sitting ducks” should terrorists launch armed attacks.

Councillor Gillian Campbell, deputy leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Blackpool Council has been working with Lancashire Constabulary and their Counter Terrorism Unit and the other emergency services as well as owners and operators of key sites in the town.

“There is nothing to suggest that Blackpool is a target. However, we have developed plans and measures to improve safety in the town during key busy days and events that provide some mitigation without ruining the enjoyment of what people are trying to see and do here in Blackpool.”

A spokesman for Norfolk Police said: “In light of the terrorist incident in Barcelona, Norfolk Constabulary will continue to work with partners and local community leaders to review our policing plans, security measures and activities to ensure the protection and security of our residents, public institutions and critical infrastructure in the county.”

East Linsdey District Council District, who manage Skegness, said: “We have plans in place to deal with any critical or major incident in the County.”

Britain’s current terror level is severe – meaning an attack is ‘highly likely.’

Unfortunately there is no certain way to prevent any further Las Ramblas style attacks without securing the bordered, limiting the free movement of people from the European Union and to round up all those currently on a jihadi watch list.

Even these measure will not eliminate all risk but will certainly reduce it considerably.

-Albert Jack

Read – Is it time to drive Islam out of Europe?

Read – The Slow Death of Europe

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