POLICE have apologised after a 'suicide bomber' shouted "Allahu Akbar" during a counter-terrorism training drill in the Trafford Centre.

Greater Manchester Police received complaints after the 'fanatic' shouted the phrase — which means "God is greater" — before triggering a simulated explosion in the food court.

GMP Assistant Chief Constable Gary Shewan said: “The scenario for this exercise is based on a suicide attack by an extremist IS-style organisation. The scenario writers have centred the circumstances around previous attacks of this nature, mirroring details of past events to make the situation as real life as possible for all of those involved.

“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 apologise for the offence this caused.”

More than 800 volunteers and store staff were drafted in to play panicked shoppers and bystanders. They included Callum Wall, a Bolton resident who works at a restaurant in the centre.

He said: “When it started it was a massive shock. We legged it to Pesto to get an eyeful of where the ‘terrorists’ were and plotted our escape route. After being redeployed we decided to think like shoppers who did not know the layout of the centre.

“It was a crazy night and made me feel that if this happened for real we would be in safe hands."

Volunteers threw themselves to the ground when the "bomb" was "detonated" and pretended to have been killed or wounded.

Police and special forces swooped in alongside dog units to "quell the threat" as part of a story arc that no-one taking part entirely knew.

The exercise, involving police from across Greater Manchester, happened between midnight and 6am yesterday and was the first of three days of a large-scale drill to test the response of the North West’s emergency services to a terrorist attack.

ARMED police stormed the Trafford Centre after a ‘suicide bomber’ blew himself up as part of a dramatic and realistic counter-terrorism training drill.

Firearms officers swooped on the closed shopping complex in response to mock Islamic State-style attackers creating havoc with assault rifles and explosives.

GMP had to apologise after attracting complaints about a pretend fanatic shouting ‘Allahu Akbar ‘, meaning ‘God is greater’ in Arabic, before triggering an ear-splitting simulated explosion in the food court.

Assistant Chief Constable Gary Shewan said: “The scenario for this 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 these nature, mirroring details of past events to make the situation as real life as possible for all of 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.”

More than 800 volunteers and shop staff in ear defenders and safety glasses were drafted in to play panicked shoppers and bystanders including Callum Wall, a Bolton resident who works at the centre’s Las Iguanas restaurant.

Callum, who also plays the bass with local band Our Sins, said: “When it did start it was a massive shock. Screaming, gunfire, explosions.

“We legged it to Pesto to get an eye full of where the ‘terrorists’ were and plotted our escape route, which when you’re a staff member is pretty easy with all Trafford Centre’s back doors and coded rooms.

“After being redeployed again we decided to think like normal shoppers who did not know the layout of the centre.

“All in all it was a crazy Monday night and made me feel that if this ever happened for real we’d be in safe hands.

“Everything was thought out really well and the armed forces treated this as a real situation.”

Volunteers threw themselves to the ground when the terrorist detonated his bomb and pretended to have been killed or wounded with the help of realistically-looking injury make-up and ripped clothing.

They were strewn around the concourse in bloodied clothing or were seen cowering or running away as the masked terrorists stalked the mall, screaming at the public to get on the floor, waving their guns around and firing shots.

Police and special forces swooped in alongside dog units to quell the threat as part of a story arc that no-one taking part entirely knows.

The exercise, involving police from across Greater Manchester including Bolton, happened between midnight and 6am yesterday and was the first of three days of a large scale drill to test the response of the North West’s emergency services to a Paris or Brussels-style terrorist attack.