UK 'plans deadly new pressure bomb'

Britain is developing its own version of a controversial hi-tech new bomb said to have the power of a tactical nuclear weapon, it was reported today. The devastating weapon kills people with a massive blast of heat and pressure rather than explosives. Body armour offers no protection against the weapon. Its use by the Russians in Chechnya sparked protests from human rights campaigners. BBC Radio 4's Today programme claimed that the weapon was already in development by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in Kent and may be in service by 2005. However, a statement given to the programme by the Ministry of Defence suggested that Britain's plans may be less well-advanced. It read: "We are currently investigating the possibility. It is possible that this might involve a thermobaric solution. "We would, of course, ensure that this is fully in accordance with international law." But Today claimed that Major Ian Orr, commander of the Army Urban Warfare Training Team, had assured its reporter that development was already under way at DERA. The weapon - the effect of which has been compared to that of a tactical nuclear bomb - has caused concern among the military because it renders conventional body armour useless. And it has sparked protests from human rights campaigners, who claim that it is disproportionate and indiscriminate in its effects, as it causes massive internal injuries to anyone - including innocent civilians - within range of its blast. According to Today, Britain's version of the weapon would be less devastating than the Russian devices used in the Chechen capital Grozny, and would be designed specifically to limit civilian casualties.