UK's Johnson under fire over no-deal Brexit assessment

The British government faced a backlash on Thursday after it was forced to publish documents warning that a no-deal Brexit could lead to civil unrest and shortages of food and medicines.

The "Operation Yellowhammer" papers, which the government released late on Wednesday, revealed that preparedness for leaving the EU without an agreement remained "at a low level".

The documents - disclosed after MPs voted Monday for their release - warned of "a rise in public disorder and community tensions" in such a scenario, as well as logjams at Channel ports threatening to impact supplies.

"It is extraordinary that these are things that could flow from the government's own policy," opposition Labour lawmaker Hilary Benn said.

"Normally when you're protecting against something like this it's a natural disaster, it's the action of others, (things) you don't control." Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government said they were updating the scenarios, which were last compiled at the start of August, and that it envisaged "the worst case".

"We're spending the money on doing lots of things to mitigate those assumptions," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC, noting there were daily meetings to prepare for no deal.

"We've planned for it and government does that well," he insisted.

Paul Carter, leader of the local authority in the southeast county of Kent, where there are fears of gridlock following a no-deal Brexit, said Johnson's administration had made "real progress" recently.

"I'm pretty confident that we can avoid disruption in Kent," he told the BBC.

But the release has fuelled fears among MPs that a disorderly divorce would be calamitous.

"It is unprecedented," said MP Dominic Grieve, who was expelled from the ruling Conservatives last week for voting against the government over the issue.

"Even if we are ready for a no-deal Brexit, this is highly disruptive and costly."