Swine flu poses a greater threat to Britain than terrorism, Home
Secretary Alan Johnson said yesterday.
'We have been preparing for this for a long time,' he told BBC1's
Andrew Marr Show.
'It came above terrorism as a threat to this country, so we had the
whole Cobra machinery and inter-agency working. We have gone through
simulation exercises where everyone was involved.'
Cobra is the Government's emergency committee that handles major disasters.
It was reported last night that criminals who have committed minor
offences could be handed fines or cautions rather than appear in court
under plans to prevent the Crown Prosecution Service being crippled
by swine flu.
Crimes which would be dealt with in this manner include theft and
low-level drug offences, it was reported last night.
