East Sussex is stepping up its emergency action plan in response to the heightened threat of terrorism.

Council chiefs yesterday approved measures which will be brought in should the county face a large-scale emergency.

The 22-point list has been drafted so all authorities know their role.

Loudhailers, local newspapers, radio, television and the internet will be used to communicate with people.

Rest centres with toilets, blankets, phones and mattresses plus a quiet area and information updates will be set up for large-scale evacuations.

And debriefings with open appraisals of the responses made between all authorities will occur after any major incident.

One-stop-shops will be set up for advice, information and support, while robust computer systems will be developed to avoid any communication breakdown.

A training programme will be published to support an emergency response in small communities, particularly at parish level.

And a Memorandum of Understanding between councils and other agencies will be drafted to define emergency planning responsibilities.

Council chiefs on Tory-run East Sussex County Council yesterday heard how instability in parts of the world makes such disaster planning essential.

Coun David Tutt, audit and best value scrutiny chairman, said: "The war with Iraq, terrorist threats and September 11 all highlight the changing threats in the world today.

"These are in addition to existing threats such as the devastating floods that occurred in East Sussex in 2000.

"Emergency planning plays a key role in preparing the county for any potential disaster and I believe our review will help fine-tune our work."

Approval of the list follows a joint review of emergency plans by the county council and five borough and district councils in East Sussex.

An electronic version of the emergency plan will be put on the internet so it can be accessed by authorities using passwords.

Tory county council leader Peter Jones said recent emergencies, such as the devastating autumn 2000 floods, were handled extremely well.

Coun Brian Gadd, vice chairman of the audit and best value scrutiny committee, said: "The review has shown strengths in the current structure for emergency planning are greater than the weaknesses."

Coun Meg Stroude, lead cabinet member for legal and community services, said: "We welcome the review, especially at this time of heightened security alerts coupled with fears about flooding."