Barbed wire was a type of wire fencing with sharp edges. Wire cutters could be used to cut through barbed wire, while the Ninth Doctor's sonic screwdriver could reattach it, with setting 2428D. (TV: The Doctor Dances)
Barbed wire was used during World War I. The Second Doctor, Jamie McCrimmon and Zoe Heriot came across some barbed wire while exploring a War Lord replica of the Western Front, with Jamie calling them "wee spikes". He accidentally pricked his fingers on it and the Doctor called it "filthy stuff". (TV: The War Games)
The crash site of a Chula ambulance in World War II London, guarded by soldiers, was surrounded by barbed wire. (TV: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
During the Miracle of 2011, overflow camps were protected by barbed wire fences. (TV: The Categories of Life)