IF you see someone in the centre of York not looking at the sights then watch out - they could be a terrorist.

That's the gist of some hard-hitting advice issued to thousands of council staff and councillors in York, following the latest wave of attacks on Britain.

Health and safety bosses at City of York Council have emailed the authority's entire work force, telling them to be vigilant against the threat of terrorism.

The warning came as police officers, including special branch, visited dozens of York businesses, to raise awareness of terrorism and how to guard against it.

Officers have gone round pubs and clubs in recent days, handing out information and talking to managers about the dangers.

Jessica Quick, manager at the Nags Head, in Micklegate, said: "They asked if we had a bomb evacuation plan in place, and asked us what to look out for."

She said she had been surprised by the officers' visit, and admitted they had never thought about a bomb evacuation plan until now.

Richard North, assistant manager at Montey's Rock Café, also in Micklegate, said: "I was a little bit surprised, but in light of what has happened in recent days it's understandable."

He said officers had left them some leaflets and a magazine, and spoken to them about bomb evacuation plans.

Mark Crossley, manager of Rumours, again in Micklegate, said police told him they were visiting 30 or 40 premises in the city.

An email issued by City of York Council's health and safety advisor Deborah Calvert told all staff to be on their guard. It wrote: "Be alert to unusual behaviour, in other words behaviour which is not what you would expect in that area or at that time of day or of the year.

"For example, someone in a tourist area who is obviously not paying attention to the attractions.

"You are among people or watch people every day, you know what is unusual - be curious."

Staff are also told to be the police's "eyes and ears".

The email said council staff were "at no greater risk from terrorist attack than other members of the public, even those who physically interact with vehicles, such as parking attendants."

The email said there was no "identikit" terrorist, and said the "first and best response" was vigilance.

It warned that terrorists would target places where people gathered in large numbers, and also warned people to watch out for suspicious vehicles. Ms Calvert advised: "Ask yourself:

* Is it parked in an unusual position/location (especially in relation to what is said above regarding crowds)?

* Is it carrying unusual equipment? gas canisters in a saloon for instance.

* Is it carrying a heavy load? Does it look low on its springs?

"If in doubt call the police. At the moment in York, the police have special powers of stop and search. They are on high alert but cannot be everywhere. You can be their eyes and ears. If it feels wrong, report it."