THE POLICE are asking members of the public to take a special training course to help spot terrorists.

The ACT counter-terror course was previously only available to staff working in crowded places like shopping centres and entertainment venues but is now open to anyone.

It is a series of online sessions which teaches people to spot the signs of suspicious behaviour and understand what to do in the event of a major incident.

The programme was originally devised in partnership with retail giant Marks and Spencer, and participants needed to be signed up by their employers although the training is free of charge.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi works as the police Senior National Coordinator for Protective Security.

“We developed each stage alongside industry experts and to date more than one and a half million modules have been completed," she explained.

“The course has been so popular, with nine out of 10 users saying they would recommend it, we want to open it up to as many people as possible.

“The threat level remains at Substantial – meaning an attack is likely - so giving everyone the chance to be extra eyes and ears for police and local security teams helps to keep all communities safe.

“The festive period is obviously a very busy one – so this is a good time to join up and become a CT Citizen.”

ACT Awareness is made up of seven modules that take a few minutes each to complete. You can pause and re-join at any time. In total it takes just 45 minutes.

The course is hosted by online training specialists Highfield. To register visit: ct.highfieldelearning.com.