No Deal HQ is set up in nuclear bunker as 3,500 troops go on standby

MILITARY chiefs have set up a team in a nuclear bunker to prepare for problems thrown up by a No Deal.

Called Operation Redfold, it will have more than 3,500 troops on standby.

Servicemen could be called on for various roles including driving fuel tankers around the country.

An MoD source said: ‘There are various stages of standby – 30 days, five days, one day. This will be a “ready to move” basis.’

The bunker, called Pindar, is deep underground at the MoD’s main building in Whitehall. Military bases could also be used to park lorries backed up at ports.

The MoD operation is separate from the overall civil service planning for No Deal, which is called Operation Yellowhammer.

Elsewhere, Operation Brock could be activated in Kent, giving lorries an expressway down the middle of the M 0. Police chiefs are also set to meet to discuss sweeping new powers.

The PM’s official spokesman said that while preparatory work has taken place, the Government has been clear a No Deal would cause ‘disruption’.

Meanwhile, teachers in Kent have been warned to make emergency preparations for children being ‘stranded’ in the event of No Deal.

Public transport and school coaches could be affected if there is ‘panic buying’ of fuel. Officials have also urged heads to ‘check on food supplies’ and see if stockpiles are sufficient.

The advice was sent to schools by Tory-controlled Kent County Council and leaked to The Guardian. It suggests teachers should plan what to do if air quality deteriorates because of increased traffic at Dover.

Yesterday trade unions and business chiefs warned Britain was facing a ‘national emergency’. In a joint letter to Theresa May, Carolyn Fairbairn of the CBI and Frances O’Grady of the TUC argued that No Deal would be catastrophic for Britain.

They said: ‘Our country is facing a national emergency. Firms and communities across the UK are not ready for this outcome. The shock to our economy would be felt by generations to come.’ Despite the warning, a Bank of England survey found 80 per cent of companies believe they’re ready for No Deal, up from 50 per cent in January.