A simulated chemical attack will be staged at a major Kent tourist attraction today to test the skills of the emergency services.

The huge combined training operation – involving police, fire and ambulance personnel – will take place at Dreamland in Margate.

More than 200 people and emergency vehicles will participate in the exercise, which will simulate the response to a crowd of about 6,500 people being exposed to a potentially-harmful chemical.

One major element of the drills will be the testing of mass decontamination processes, with Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) crews building shower units and guiding the public through the process.

People living and working in the area are being reassured that if they notice a significant emergency service presence in the area, there is nothing to be concerned about as it is all part of a training exercise.

Brennan Ralls, KFRS crew manager at Margate fire station, said: “This exercise is great opportunity to work together with our partners and colleagues, to ensure we are always prepared to respond to any emergency.

“We’re likely to be at the venue for most of the day, so we’d also like to reassure the public, particularly people who live and work near to Dreamland, that this is purely an exercise and not to be alarmed by our presence.

“We’d be grateful if people could share this message with anyone in the area who might not have access to the internet or social media.”

The exercise at the seaside theme park and event venue is expected to last most of the day.

Shane Guy, head of operations at Dreamland, said: “Dreamland is delighted to be working with the emergency services and supporting agencies to deliver real time training for a major incident.

“Our staff and management team, together with our partners, will all benefit from this important exercise.”

SECAmb’s head of resilience and specialist operations, Dave Williams, said: “It is vital that we participate in exercises such as this so we can test and learn from our response.”