Met Tsunami work - MPA Member to visit Phuket

03/05
18 January 2005

MPA magistrate member Aneeta Prem is to visit Phuket, Thailand, to see for herself the work of Metropolitan Police officers and staff who have been there since the tsunami struck on Boxing Day.

The Met has been using its world-renowned expertise to help identify victims of the disaster and support family members who survived the tragedy.

Aneeta said:

“The Met’s response to this unprecedented disaster has been outstanding and illustrates the high levels of training and commitment achieved by our officers and staff.

“Multi-skilled teams of Met officers and staff were dispatched to Thailand and Sri Lanka immediately to work with international policing partners and local authorities. The teams include those with specialist forensic experience, expertise in liaising with bereaved families (family liaison officers), and experience in working on crime scenes and body recovery. The scale and complexity of the investigation is enormous and presents significant challenges.

“The actual recovery and identification process is an internationally co-ordinated operation, using existing international policing arrangements. The ultimate purpose is to establish the correct identification of the bodies recovered, with due dignity.

“The role of family liaison officers (FLOs), who are not trained counsellors, is to provide professional and practical support to families by gathering information about the victims and providing updates on the ongoing investigation and recovery operation. The FLOs have received particular praise for their work in the disaster-hit area.

“In this country the Met set up the Casualty Bureau where trained police staff answer the Foreign and Commonwealth emergency number. At peak times staff were taking in excess of 600 calls an hour and working extremely long hours. Many of the calls were of a difficult nature from distressed families with moving reports of missing people. We still want people to call Casualty Bureau if people originally reported missing have now safely returned or made contact. The number is 020 7008 0000.

“At major airports a multi agency response was put in place for people returning from the disaster area. Every effort was made to assess their needs and provide appropriate care in special reception centres.

“The disaster has had a distressing impact on a range of communities across London and the UK. The Met is working with other government and voluntary agencies to provide a co-ordinated response to community needs. The British Red Cross and other organisations have set up a dedicated support line for those who need emotional support or just someone to talk to. Trained volunteers will offer emotional support, information and advice in complete confidence. The support line number is 0845 0547474.

Aneeta concluded:

“Our heartfelt sympathies go to all those families who have lost loved ones and also to those who are still waiting for news.”

Notes to editors

1. Aneeta Prem is available for interview. Please contact MPA press office on 020 7202 0217 or 0218.

2. The Casualty Bureau number for reporting information about missing people is 020 7008 0000.

3. The number for travel advice or general information is 0870 6060290 or via the FCO website: www.fco.gov.uk

4. To support the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the police response was mobilised quickly to help meet the needs of victims and survivors of the tsunami disaster. This was initially led and co-ordinated by the MPS but is now being co-ordinated by the Police National Information Co-ordination Centre (PNIC).

5. The International Committee of the Red Cross has also launched a dedicated website for the people concerned about missing relatives in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia. It can be found at: www.familylinks.icrc.org

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