A VIDEO advising young children what to do in the event of a terrorist attack could be provided to primary schools across Swindon.

Swindon Council's emergency planning officer, Sam Weller, has bought several of the public information video called Go in, Stay in, Tune in, which cost £17.50 each, but has yet to decide whether to distribute them to libraries and schools across the borough.

The thrust of the seven-minute video, produced by Training Videos Associates, is to inform children of what to do in the event of a chemical spillage with the same principles being applied with a terrorist attack in the UK in light of the war on Iraq.

The target audience is seven to 11-year-olds with the video advising them to stay inside and monitor events on television.

The action focuses on three friends as they respond to a chemical tanker accident near to their homes.

But the town's headteachers have said the film is totally inappropriate and some say they will refuse to show it.

"There is little children can do about the war and it would not be constructive to show the video to them," said Andrew Nye head of Seven Fields Primary School.

Moredon Junior School head Lauren Connor, echoed his feelings and said: "It's not appropriate and would only make the situation worse for the kids. They are already talking about the war and attacks, and some of them are scared. I would always ask parental permission to show something like this anyway."

However emergency planner Mr Weller said: "The threat assessment is low for this area, but we are in constant touch with the police and partner agencies and we're certainly not complacent, just working to make Swindon safe.

"Spare batteries, candles and tinned food are necessary in the event of any emergency, but we have got to be very careful about when and how we give out information because I don't want to be seen as being alarmist in any way.

" I would hope we would be robust enough to deal with whatever is thrown at us."

There is no evidence that Swindonians have been stockpiling food and water as in the United States, but the close proximity of RAF Fairford, from where American B-52 bombers have been flying scores of bombing raids to Iraq, has heightened tension in Swindon.

Local government emergency planners create strategies to deal with the threat of natural disasters, like floods and earthquakes, chemical, nuclear, biological and radioactive attacks.

TVA spokesman, Alan Davies, said: "The video was produced predominantly for areas where there might be a higher risk of major incidents.

"It has been widely distributed across the UK and we have had great interest in it in the light of current circumstances."