Terror training test at the Trafford Centre

A training exercise has been held in Manchester so that the emergency service could practice how to deal with a terror attack.

Published 10th May 2016

Police say a terror training exercise at the Trafford Centre last night was a success.

800 volunteers took part in the scenario which involved a fake suicide bomber and a number of gunmen.

The training event was made to look as realistic as possible but anti-terror police say it's NOT in response to any particular threat.

WATCH: Our Chief Reporter Michelle Livesey was there:

See more pictures from the exercise below. [Gallery: Manchester Trafford Centre terror trial WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT

There has since been a backlash on social media after the fake suicide bomber shouted "Allahu Akbar" - the Islamic phrase for "God is great" - before detonating the pretend bomb.

Greater Manchester's Police and Crime Commissioner has said that this has the potential to undermine the great community relations in Greater Manchester.

Greater Manchester Police have since apologised for any offence caused.

In a statement Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan from Greater Manchester Police said:

"For the past 24 hours, GMP, along with other agencies, has been hosting a counter terrorism training exercise based at the Trafford Centre, which began with a mock suicide bomber detonating a bomb inside the shopping centre.

“It is a necessity for agencies including the police to train and prepare using exercises such as this, so that we would be in the best possible position to respond in the event that the unthinkable happened and an attack took place.

"The scenario for the exercise is based on a suicide attack by an extremist Daesh style organisation and the scenario writers have centred the circumstances around previous similar attacks of this nature, mirroring details of past events to make the situation as real life as possible for those involved.

"However, on reflection we acknowledge that it was unacceptable to use this religious phrase immediately before the mock suicide bombing, which so vocally linked this exercise with Islam. We recognise and apologise for the offence that this has caused."