Health chiefs have advised Brits to 'go in, stay in, tune in' if the UK is hit by a 'radiation emergency'.

The fresh guidance was published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

Despite other publications linking this advice to rising tensions in Russia and China, the document makes no mention of nuclear weapons.

It does explain, however, what Britons should do in a "radiation emergency", which could be caused by a leak at a nuclear power plant or during the transport of radioactive material.

Actions to take: go in, stay in, tune in 

There are important actions you should take to protect you and your family in the event of a radiation emergency.

Go in

The most important thing to do if you are told you are near a radiation emergency is to go indoors as soon as you can and stay there. Close the doors and windows and stay as far away from external walls as possible.

Stay in

Staying indoors reduces your exposure to any radiation outside. You will be advised on what to do next. Turn off all fans and air conditioning and close all external doors, windows and vents where possible. You will be advised on what to do next. You may need to stay indoors for one to two days.

Tune in

Monitor the news and follow official UK advice on GOV.UK for what to do next. Any changes to advice will be communicated to you via official sources – this may be via the radio, television, internet, social media or the police.

You can read the full advice here.

Follow the local official advice

Emergency services and local authorities will provide information about what has happened and what you should do. This may be provided via the radio, television, internet, social media or the police.

What you need to do to protect yourself will depend on where you are and where the radiation emergency is, so it is essential to follow the advice provided in your area.

Radiation cannot be seen, heard, smelt, tasted or felt, so you must follow the advice given to you, even if you can’t tell that anything has happened. If you are overseas, follow the local official advice.

You may be advised by the emergency services to evacuate, and you should be prepared to do this, if needed, following advice issued for your area.

You should not evacuate unless advised to do so, as leaving the shelter may increase your radiation exposure.

If a radiation emergency happens outside the UK, it is very unlikely that you will need to do anything different from normal if you are in the UK at the time. Any official advice for the UK public will be given on television, radio, internet or social media.