Emergency crews responded to a mocked-up terror attack on the Tube during a security test for the Olympics.
Actors posing as passengers staggered out of the disused Aldwych station with fake wounds as paramedics, fire crews and police dealt with the incident. They were among the 2,500 people taking part in the exercise near the Royal Courts of Justice.
Officials from bodies including Cobra, the top-level government committee which sits during national emergencies, were told to treat the incident as if it were happening on the Olympics days of August 8 and 9.
National Olympic Security Co-ordinator Chris Allison said the two-day exercise named Forward Defensive would test officials' ability to evacuate a station, rescue the injured and manage the crime scene.
He added: "This is part of series of exercises which we have run in the lead-up to the Games, but this is the first with such a significant response from the emergency services on the ground.
"The exercise will go on to test how senior decision makers manage the impact of the incident, the investigation to catch those responsible and a range of issues such as travel disruption, protests and organised crime which may impact on the smooth running of the Olympic Games."
One of the primary areas under review is the communication systems of emergency workers. Rescue and police efforts after the July 7 bombings that killed 52 commuters in 2005 were hampered by emergency workers' inability to communicate underground.
