One of the strangest myths circulating during the Covid-19 pandemic originates in the west of Scotland.

Some are claiming, based on what they’ve seen on social media, that secret bases are being built around Glasgow to put the city into lockdown, with Strathclyde Park often being named along with Govan as locations for bases being built in the night.

None of this is true and we’ve had that confirmed by the British Army and also by James Heappey MP, the Minister for the Armed Forces. Many other sources have backed this up.

The claim stems from the social media and the myth of a lockdown spreading via WhatsApp. Read more about it here and here.

The source for this latest rumour is below, some of you might remember the source as the same one that managed to spread a false claim that the Queen had died last year.

Despite what you might read in fake news, the @BritishArmy has NOT adopted formally WhatsApp or any such messaging app.

We do, however, endorse Defence Connect, which is based on Jive software (and we own the servers) as our enterprise social network.

Be careful out there. pic.twitter.com/O7YixFrHdb — Colonel Chris MacGregor 🇬🇧 (@ArmyComms_Col) March 18, 2020

Some are also claiming some sort of ‘inside knowledge’, they’re wrong too.

At some point there may well be a lockdown and the Government are looking at service personnel usage during Covid-19 outbreak but the claims that secret bases are being built up around Glasgow are not true.

What will they be used for?

• 150 troops are learning to drive oxygen tankers to supply hospitals

• Soldiers are preparing to fill some roles in police, prison service & border force

• Reservists are also likely to be called up

In addition, the Armed Forces are on standby to assist with civil emergencies and the MoD are deploying nurses, surgeons and other healthcare trained personnel to assist where required.