As global relations turn frosty, is the UK going to bring back Cold War nuclear attack warning system?
With Vladimir Putin stepping up his campaign of aggression, there are fears that the world is on the brink of a second Cold War
AS the relationship between the world's nuclear powers takes a frosty turn, it has been claimed that the UK is set to roll out a new warning system to alert residents when an attack is imminent.
With Vladimir Putin stepping up his campaign of aggression against the West, there are fears that the world is on the brink of a second Cold War - and the government is said to share that fear.
Back in the dark days of the Cold War, the British government developed a "four minute warning" system to alert the public that the country had come under attack.
The warning system, which was in place from 1953-1992, used air raid sirens, TV bulletins and radio broadcasts to spread the terrifying news but, thankfully, the system was never used.
reports that the original four minute broadcast featured lines such as: "This is the Wartime Broadcasting Service. This country has been attacked with nuclear weapons."
The broadcast continues: "Communications have been severely disrupted and the number of casualties and the extent of the damage are not yet known.
"We shall bring you further information as soon as possible.
"Meanwhile, stay tuned to this wavelength, stay calm and stay in your own house.
"Remember there is nothing to be gained by trying to get away. By leaving your homes you could be exposing yourself to greater danger.
"We shall be on the air every hour, on the hour. Stay tuned to this wavelength, but switch your radios off now to save your batteries. That is the end of this broadcast."
The four minute warning - the length of time it would take to confirm a Soviet nuclear strike - was scrapped after the Cold War thawed out, but recent escalations with Russia have apparently led the government to fine tune a 21st century replacement.
In 2003, the National Attack Warning System (NAWS) was developed, allowing the government to warn the population by phone, radio and TV if we ever come under attack.
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The NAWS, which is said to be capable of warning of an attack in just 60 seconds, is complimented by a new experimental text message warning system, which would send "doomsday messages" to citizens in the event of a nuclear strike.
In 2013, it sent out 50,000 text messages to people in North Yorkshire, Suffolk and Glasgow as a test of the system's effectiveness in both rural and urban settings.
And today, there is evidence to suggest that an updated system is ready to broadcast the same terrifying news to the country, which could be obliterated if faced with a full-scale nuclear attack.
A review into counter-terrorism strategies this week has urged the Metropolitan Police to roll out a system where every Londoner receives a text alert in the event of a terror attack.
But since previous government trials have also tested the system outside of cities - where the risk of a terror attack is very slim - there are suspicions that the system is really being developed to warn of a nuclear strike.
This news comes after the chilling Doomsday Clock, which monitors the chances of humanity being wiped out, ticked down to one of the most precarious points in its 60 year history.
We also recently revealed how the USSR had devised a classified strategy to rapidly conquer Europe in an all-out nuclear conflict.
And if that has you worried, then it may be worth reading our guides on how to survive a world war or how to increase your chances of living through a nuclear attack.