Tram emergency test 'a success'

The scenario involved several "casualties"

A mock derailment of a south London tram in an emergency response exercise was a "huge success", police said.

The scenario involved a collision between two busy trams after one of them hits a concrete slab left on the track inside a tunnel in Croydon.

The exercise tested the tram operator and emergency services' ability to work together in a major incident.

Insp Ray Whiting said the trial "fully demonstrated" the effectiveness of the multi-agency response.

He said the exercise would be reviewed in detail next month to see what lessons could be learned.

Charles Tomlinson, of Tramtrack Croydon, said such exercises were an essential means of testing their readiness for a major incident.

Volunteers from the Casualties Union, Croydon College and the Metropolitan Police Service Croydon Cadets acted as casualties.

Leaflets had been distributed to local residents in the area giving them advance notice of the exercise.