They have been described by civil defence officials as the worst in 27 years.

However, defence officials said the exercise had been planned for a long time.

Defence officials later claimed they had been able to track it.

The floods were described by civil defence officials as the worst in 27 years.

The guidelines sent to the the county council reveal that up to 400 ministry of defence officials are on standby to take over.

Defence officials said 11,000 personnel still face being redundant on a compulsory or voluntary basis.

"They are looking at the ground in case they are needed," a senior defence official said yesterday.

Matters were made worse when defence officials raided the vehicles' budget, taking £10.8billion which had been due to the programme until 2021.

Ministry of Defence officials are willing to sell the 1,548-acre site for £300,000, but the trust has to find nearly £3 million to guarantee the area's future.

This plan was presented to a council of defence officials of the Soviet republics on 26-27 December 1991.