Primary school children are to be taught about what to do in a terror attack with a book about a cat set loose in a school for mice.
Moggy’s Coming advises youngsters to ‘run, hide, tell, treat’ in the event of an active gunman or knife attacker, in line with national police advice.
Hundreds of teachers in Birmingham have been trained on how to use the materials so far.
It has been developed by the team of doctors behind the Citizenaid app which advises users on how to deal with a terror threat.
In conjunction with the book, older students will have ‘teacher-led discussions about a shooter in a school’ and will be given advanced training on how to stop a large wound from bleeding or using a tourniquet.
The cartoon story is based in the fictional Mulberry School for mice in the town of ‘Goodcitizenham’. The story begins with the young mice holding a practice of what to do in the event of a ‘cat on the loose’ – similar to the drills held in schools across the UK
Meanwhile younger children will talk in general terms about how injuries are treated but will be advised to approach an adult for help.
The cartoon story is based in the fictional Mulberry School for mice in the town of ‘Goodcitizenham’.
It teaches children that ‘mice know they must be wary of cats’ using a feline to represent an attacker with rodents being the school pupils.
The story begins with the young mice holding a practice of what to do in the event of a ‘cat on the loose’ – similar to the drills held in schools across the UK.
Children reading the book are then advised to ‘run away if you can’ or to hide and call the police.
The next day, a cat arrives at the school ‘looking for mice to eat’ – but the teachers and children put their preparation into practice.
It teaches children that ‘mice know they must be wary of cats’ using a feline to represent an attacker with rodents being the school pupils
The book advises youngsters to ‘run, hide, tell, treat’ in the event of an active gunman or knife attacker, in line with national police advice
It adds: ‘Most of the time cats cause no trouble, but they are well known to chase mice – and to eat them if they catch them!’
Brigadier Tim Hodgetts of the Defence Medical Services, which created the book, told the Times: ‘We are passionate about making sure what we learnt the hard way in the military does get into the civilian community, to wider benefit.
‘If there are indiscriminate attacks in public places, children are part of the public and they will be swept up.
He added: ‘If we look at the allegories, they are not talking about terrorism, they are talking about if you are in a situation where somebody is trying to hurt you.’
Earlier this month scientists released a guide on how to talk to children about tragic world events, as well as how to spot when they are struggling to cope.
The advice covers discussions with youngsters of all ages – from encouraging youngsters to ask questions and watching the news with teenagers.
The next day, a cat arrives at the school ‘looking for mice to eat’ – but the teachers and children put their preparation into practice
Dr David Schonfeld, who carries out research on supporting grieving children at the University of Southern California but was not involved in the study, said: ‘What we’ve found is that kids are often worried about something you wouldn’t anticipate.
‘Adults habituate to upsetting daily news and kids often don’t.
‘We need to talk about what worries them. If we don’t, we won’t be considered a credible source with additional worries in the future.’
Last year it emerged that children as young as nine were left ‘petrified’ over fears of a terror attack.
Youngsters contacting the NSPCC’s Childline service have suffered panic attacks, anxiety and insomnia triggered or exacerbated by atrocities around the world.