Phone alert for armageddon

A NUCLEAR attack on Britain remains extremely unlikely – but if Vladimir Putin does decide to unleash hell, we’ll be notified by phone.

While the wailing sirens in Kyiv are reminiscent of preparations made during the Cold War, military commanders in the UK would take over mobile networks if an attack was imminent.

Devices such as mobile phones and laptops would give off a 10-second, siren-like sound – even if set to silent.

The official advice on what to do in the event of a nuclear attack is pretty much the same as under Whitehall’s Protect and Survive guides issued a generation ago. It is thought there would be approximately 20 minutes between the launch of a Russian ballistic missile and a strike landing in Britain.

People should get inside the nearest building to avoid radiation, remove contaminated clothing, wash and stay inside.

Official guidance also says to stock up on basics, turn off gas and electricity, and wait.

The Royal Family would be dispersed while Boris Johnson would retreat to an air-locked crisis centre deep under the MoD building in Whitehall.

Meanwhile, the Cyber Technology Institute says malicious digital attacks in the UK have risen by between 41 and 65% since Russia invaded Ukraine.

The Kaspersky website, which tracks cyber threats, shows there has been an additional 13,000 attempts to infect British computers in the past week – shooting up from 42,000 to 55,000.