Reposted from Xinhuanet

Over 1,000 companies and organisations in Britain have signed up for new counter terrorism training course, the National Counter Terrorism Security Office said Wednesday.

Since the innovative training product was first made available, organisations as varied as high-street department store chain John Lewis & Partners, the English National Opera and Manchester Cathedral have enrolled their staff. The training scheme is a measure that could help prevent terror attacks.

Called ACT (Action Counters terrorism) Awareness e-Learning, the training was developed in a ground-breaking partnership between Counter Terrorism Policing and British retail giant Marks & Spencer. It covers how to spot the signs of suspicious behavior and what to do if an attack should take place.

The course can be divided into short sections to suit business needs. However, it takes just one hour in total to complete -- an hour that could save lives.

Deputy Assistant Police Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi, national police lead for protective security, said: "All staff working in crowded places -- not just those who have a security role -- can follow the course and be in a stronger position to help protect themselves, colleagues and the public.

"Our officers will still be available to deal with companies on a one-to-one level but this will lead to many more 'eyes and ears' available to help us that could potentially save lives." 

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