Sunday's Panorama features a fictional account of how authorities cope with bomb attacks on the underground system and an exploded chemical tanker. It also has interviews with London Underground staff saying they have not had training to deal with an attack. Programme-makers claim it highlights "basic problems" in emergency planning.In the show, set just into the future, a series of mock news reports detail how London is thrown into chaos after simultaneous bomb blasts on the Tube's Piccadilly, Central and Victoria lines and the explosion of a chemical tanker. A panel of intelligence, emergency planning, police, fire, government and media management specialists examine the plans currently in place to cope with a major atrocity. Problems highlighted include that police, fire and ambulance radios do not work underground and that the siren network used to alert the public has been dismantled. Home Secretary David Blunkett declined to take part in the show, and condemned it as unnecessarily alarmist. "We are disappointed to learn that the BBC appears to have adopted an irresponsible and alarmist approach over what is understandably an emotive and frightening subject for the public," a Home Office spokesman told BBC News Online. He said the programme depicted a situation that was "simply not realistic". It is because of the approach taken by the programme that the government and emergency services declined to cooperate in its making."

'Public duty': The government's policy was to invest heavily in the prevention of terrorist attacks, he said, an example being the recent massive expansion of MI5. "The government is committed to ensuring the public is alert but not alarmed by the threat by international terror." Panorama says it has a public duty to highlight potential flaws in Britain's ability to deal with a terrorist atrocity. The controversy comes a day after the Police Federation said they needed more money to train officers to respond to a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear attack. Terror Expert Professor Paul Wilkinson said a great deal had been achieved since the terror attacks of 11 September 2001, but agreed there was still a lot more planning that needed to be done.

The report does not generally distinguish between British and American forces but there are specific criticisms which appear to be aimed at areas under British command. Those are: The ICRC examined the arrest of nine men, one of whom died, by coalition forces in Basra on 13 September 2003. "Following their arrest, the nine men were made to kneel, face and hands against the ground, as if in a prayer position. "The soldiers stamped on the back of the neck of those raising their head. They confiscated their money without issuing a receipt." The report says the men were later "severely beaten" by coalition troops. "One of the arrestees died following the ill-treatment... Prior to his death, his co-arrestees heard him screaming and asking for assistance." The report says the death certificate for the 28-year-old married father-of-two mentioned "cardio-respiratory arrest - asphyxia" as the condition leading to his death but said its cause was "unknown" and should be referred to the coroner. Eyewitnesses told the ICRC the man had a broken nose, several broken ribs and cuts to the face "consistent with beatings". On 3 October, the commander of the coalition forces in Basra offered the man's father his condolences, said an investigation had been launched and that those responsible would be punished, the report continues. It says two of the other men arrested were put in hospital with "severe injuries".

Concerns are raised about the interrogation section of the Umm Qasr camp, run initially by British forces, then by the Americans, and from 25 September 2003 by British troops again. The ICRC told the commander of British Armed Forces on 1 April 2003 at the coalition central command base in Doha about ill-treatment used by military intelligence officers at the camp. "This intervention had the immediate effect to stop the systematic use of hoods and flexi-cuffs in the interrogation section of Umm Qasr."

A man "claimed his car was confiscated when he was arrested by the CF (Coalition Forces) in Basra on 16 July 2003", adds the report.