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As tensions rise with the Brexit deadline fast approaching, another round of stories reveals the chaos that might ensue if the UK crashes out of the EU without a deal.
Now it has been reported Brexit planners are looking into the possible imposition of martial law after no-deal Brexit to prevent civil disobedience.
According to a report in the Sunday Times, powers available under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 would allow ministers to impose curfews, travels bans, confiscate property and deploy the armed forces to quell rioting.
An anonymous Whitehall source told the newspaper:
The over-riding theme in all the no-deal planning is civil disobedience and the fear that it will lead to death in the event of food and medical shortages.
The newspaper quoted another source as saying that planners were using the disruption caused by the volcanic ash in Iceland during 2010 as a model for possible disorder.
But the source said that a no-deal Brexit would be “about a thousand times worse" than the volcanic ash cloud crisis, before adding:
The only other thing that would be comparable would be something like a major Europe-wide war.
Many people on Twitter were quite worried about the report, to say the least.
Everyone made the same joke about the Brexit campaign's 'Take Back Control' slogan.
Although inevitably there some who said that warnings about the consequences of no-deal Brexit have been overblown.
A Downing Street spokesperson said:
Respecting the referendum decision means leaving the EU.
The PM has said that there will be disruption in the event of no deal, but as a responsible government we are taking the appropriate steps to minimise this disruption and ensure the country is prepared.
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