Media Make-up students help simulate terror attack in Leeds

The Level 6 and 5 students worked throughout a Tuesday night and into the early hours of a Wednesday morning during a covert operation that involved more than 200 personnel from the Counter Terrorism Squad, West Yorkshire Police, the British Transport Police, the Paramedic Service, Network Rail and various Fire Crews.  

Explosions, gunshots and screams were heard across the city with residents having been informed a few hours before not to be alarmed and that a training exercise was taking place.

The students demonstrated the skills they had learned on the York School of Art-affiliated course and, under the supervision of alumni Amelia Bark, Evie Cullen and Amelia O’Brien, worked from 8pm to 5am in three different groups to create highly realistic wounds and lacerations on participants in the operation.

There were three elements to the simulation – Knife Attacks, Explosions and Hostages on a Train – as the Emergency Services gained vital experience in working simultaneously to contend with immediate threats whilst also tending to wounded people and fatalities.

The Media Make-up department was approached six months ago to take part in the exercise with meetings then held between College tutors, West Yorkshire Police and British Transport Police to plan the event and ensure the students were fully prepared.       

Non-Disclosure Agreements were also signed and the students even attended College during their summer break to prep flat-mould wounds in readiness for the event.

Course Leader Sharon Barrington, who attended the simulation along with fellow tutors Emma Dobson and Tracy Hogg, said: “The students were excited to see how much of a role they played and the impact they had on the overall operation. They were highly praised by many of the first responders on the night for the realistic designs they put together and we have since been informed by West Yorkshire Police that we will be asked to be involved in future operations of this type. 

“As staff, we were extremely proud of how the students conducted themselves leading up to and during the event. They were professional, organised and demonstrated excellent research skills and creativity.”

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