ARCHIVED - Cartagena installing giant plant pots following Berlin Christmas market attack

The Interior Ministry has warned town halls across Spain to take protective measures against terror attacks

The recent attack in Berlin has sent out warning shockwaves across Europe, and in Spain the Ministry of Interior has warned town halls to take precautions if planning events over the festive season which may involve large crowds congregating in areas which could be vulnerable to terror attacks.

The attack on a Berlin Christmas market showed the devastation that can be wrought by the simple act of driving a truck into crowds, and the problem of how to prevent  another such massacre is one which is haunting authorities who can see holes in defences no matter where they look.

The attack in Germany on Monday, in which 11 people were killed by the truck in addition to the murder of the Polish driver, mirrored a militant raid in the French city of Nice in July that killed 86, and there are vulnerabilities in the design of any town, none of which were built to take attacks of this nature into account .

Hauliers increasingly track their vehicles in real time but security experts say the technology cannot be used to stop an attack if a lorry has been hijacked to be used as a weapon.

From a militant's perspective, the advantage of a lorry attack is its simplicity: a truck is not difficult to obtain and move around, as guns and explosives are, and it does not operate in an environment that can be secured, like the air industry.

The threat from a lorry attack can be reduced by physical deterrents such as concrete blocks and bollards, but this is harder for temporary events like Christmas markets and with so many events over the Christmas period it is difficult for the authorities to cover every  potential vulnerability.

Security experts say that the chances of the same technique being used in other copycat incidents is increasing with every success, as it is more likely that a tactic will be emulated if it is perceived to have been a success.

British police said in a security update after the Berlin attack that event organisers could use large vehicles to create road closures, and position machinery used for events such as electricity generators and temporary pedestrian barriers to slow down a truck, although haulier and security industry experts say is impossible to eradicate the chance of another attack.

However, there are basic precautions which can be taken and on Thursday morning the local council for safety in Cartagena met to initiate their Christmas action plan, part of which now includes the hasty addition of large planting pots to the key streets of the city, the aim being to minimise the chances of such an attack occurring in Cartagena.

Mayor José López issued reassurances that the layout of Cartagena would make it more difficult for such an attack to take place, but acknowledged that the council respected the fears of the Ministry and had taken measures it considered to be adequate for such an eventuality.

Beat the botellon campaign

The decision to locate a controlled meeting point for young people in the festival encampment area normally used during the Romans and Carthaginians fiestas was also confirmed during the meeting.

The intention is to facilitate services in this area to enable the younger generation to enjoy the large-scale open-air gatherings which are so popular amongst Spanish youngsters without inconveniencing the residents of other areas in which they habitually gather.

These gatherings are called “botellón” or gatherings in which people bring bottles to drink and party.

The noise and rubbish left behind has been the source of considerable complaint from residents of the areas selected for some considerable time.

Image: Copyright Reuters