Emergency planners in Kent are facing claims of unnecessary secrecy over their failure to publish any details of Brexit contingency plans.

The Kent Resilience Forum is made up of 100 different organisations and is responsible for drawing together a risk register that identifies critical issues and offers advice on how to deal with civil emergencies. Councils, the police and the NHS are all represented.

But the forum’s website fails to make any reference to the possible consequences of Brexit and the only register available is one that dates back to 2016.

In an introduction to that two-year-old register explaining the purpose of the plan, the report states one of its key aims is “to assure the people of Kent that risks are being researched and multi-agency plans are put in place to deal with them. The register also advises the public what they can do to protect themselves.”

But anyone looking for advice in the 28 page register will not discover any relating to Brexit. The issue does not get any mention at all in the risks that are identified.

Those that are listed as “very high” risks include flooding and a flu epidemic while “high risk” events include severe weather such as storms and gales and heatwaves.

However, the KM Group has learned that members of Kent’s fire authority were briefed about the latest emergency plans this week - but were told that details were “officially sensitive.”

In a statement, the forum acknowledged that it had identified through regular reviews “existing local risks” related to a no-deal Brexit and the prospect of potential disruption.

"Most of Kent's residents and business managers have no idea what the likely impacts will be on their daily lives and organisations..." Cllr Rob Bird

But it said: “The Community Risk Register is informed by the National Risk Register. Brexit is not on the current National Risk Register as it has not been defined as a civil emergency.”

“There is much information in the public domain about the plans that are being developed to respond to potential increases in checking times for freight, including Operation Brock. Partners will continue to work together to anticipate the potential issues and develop plans to mitigate the impact on Kent’s communities.”

But the opposition Liberal Democrat leader at Kent County Council Cllr Rob Bird said the risks should be made public.

He said: “Brexit is supposed to be in just over six weeks time and the risks of a no-deal are increasing by the day. However, most of Kent's residents and business managers have no idea what the likely impacts will be on their daily lives and organisations. The authorities have plans to deal with a disorderly Brexit but most of these have been hidden under a veil of Government secrecy. This is irresponsible and short-sighted. People should have been told what to expect already so they can make their own plans."

"Kent Resilience Forum and other responsible organisations need to provide Brexit guidance now. Unless this happens soon, we could end up with confusion and panic."

Kent Online recently revealed how the government’s Brexit department had issued guidance to councils on how to reject Freedom of Information requests.