Secret plans for Britain to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear holocaust included recruiting psychopaths to run the country, according to newly released official documents.
Psychopaths were favoured for positions of power because they were considered intelligent, logical and impervious to the psychological shock that might affect ordinary people, the files suggest.
The documents released by the National Archives contain details of how the Home Office had planned for the rebuilding of the country in the aftermath of a nuclear strike through a programme named Exercise Regenerate.
The 1982 operation trained staff for an attack involving 300 megatons of atom bombs being dropped in a 16-minute exchange, and issued mock wartime guidance for regional councils on how to govern post-strike.
One document written by Jane Hogg, a scientific officer in the Home Office, suggested that psychopaths should be put in charge in the worst-hit areas.