DON'T panic! Corporal Blunkett has it all in hand. At least, that was the message coming out of the Home Office this week. The reality was quite different.

David Blunkett's practice-run of a "catastrophic" terrorist attack on London is unlikely to be terribly realistic given he was forced to tell us when (March 23) and where (Bank tune station) it was taking place.

His terror website doesn't work. And his off-the-cuff suggestion that anyone who fancies a smallpox jab should trot off to their local GP was quickly slapped down by Downing Street.

Few people would criticise Mr Blunkett for a bit of forward-planning, particularly after the disturbing sight of tanks guarding Heathrow Airport last month.

But was Mr Blunkett really wise to announce plans to simulate a biological or chemical attack over the "next few weeks"?

Businesses and commuters were never going to put up with days of uncertainty about the timing or venue of the "attack". So the Home Office came clean...and we should expect a crowd of tourists with cameras clicking away at the sight of 100 volunteers pretending to be "victims" - rather than a test of how the emergency services would cope in the face of an attack.

Undeterred, Mr Blunkett came to the House of Commons to tell MPs what he was up to.

One asked if people terrified of a biological attack could be vaccinated.

Trampling over the Department of Health's patch, he said: "I do not believe there is a problem in people approaching their practitioners for a smallpox vaccine."

There was one problem. GPs don't actually have any of the vaccine in stock - and are not currently allowed to keep it.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman was forced to clear up the mess. Mr Blunkett was not setting out Government policy. He was making a suggestion to Health Secretary Alan Milburn. From the Despatch Box.

Some of us were left confused. But help was at hand. A new dedicated website had been launched by the Home Office to "present easily understandable advice for the general public, and provide a range of information - from details of terrorist organisations to guidance on personal protection".

Mr Blunkett proudly announced: "I understand the public thirst for information and advice on terrorism and related issues.

"We are not always able to give the public and the media answers to all of their questions, simply because some of that information would be useful to terrorists who could use it to threaten our national security.

"But the public have a right to have their concerns addressed, and to know as much as possible about the work that goes on behind the scenes to protect them."

I paid the website a visit (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism) - only to discover it doesn't work yet. I was re-directed to a website in Australia explaining how the authorities Down Under would cope in the event of a terrorist act.

The Tories, keen to back Mr Blunkett to the hilt on terrorism, didn't know whether to laugh or cry when the news got out.

After all, it was not that long ago that he issued an absolutely terrifying terror alert - roughly paraphrased as: we could be attacked at any time by land, sea, sky, suicide bomber or nuclear device - only to withdraw it a short time later.

Still, don't panic...

Updated: 10:08 Friday, March 07, 2003