Hundreds of police officers from Scotland and England will practice rapid deployment in Northern Ireland in the event of disorder arising from a no-deal Brexit, The Guardian newspaper reported Thursday.

According to the UK-based media outlet, the plans were put in place after Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) chiefs asked for "reinforcements to deal with any trouble that arises from a hard border." The drills for almost 1,000 officers are reportedly expected to begin this month.

On 11 December, UK Prime Minister Theresa May postponed the vote on her Brexit deal, which led to a vote of no confidence in May later in the week. Though she won the vote on her fate as leader, the future of the agreement is still unclear, and the no-deal scenario remains possible.

Members of the UK Parliament are set to return from their Christmas break on 7 January, and a new debate over the Brexit deal is scheduled for 9 January. A vote on the deal is expected to take place the following week.

READ MORE: PM May 'Will Find A Way' to Pass Brexit Draft Plan Through Parliament – UK FM

A spokesman for May said that the UK government had stepped up preparations for leaving the European Union without a deal.

A no-deal scenario means that there will be no transition period, and the United Kingdom would have to leave the European Union and abandon everything associated with it on 29 March 2019.

READ MORE: UK to Establish New Overseas Military Bases After Brexit – Report