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A no-deal Brexit could cause roads, rail and air links to be 'overwhelmed' in the event of more than two emergencies at once, according to leaked Department for Transport (DfT) papers.

The DfT said the impact of the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal on March 29 could grow "exponentionally" in the event of transport crises and even spread to other government departments, according to the document.

The papers seen by the Times, part of the Operation Yellowhammer Brexit contingency plan, form a guide to working in the DfT's 24/7 operations centres.

The 37-page document said the immediate priorities in the event of no deal will be "welfare, health, transport and security of UK citizens at home and abroad, and the economic stability of the UK.”

It added: "The scale of the operation is potentially enormous. If there is no deal, the impacts could be felt and could fall across every transport mode [and possibly each sector within wider government], and could grow exponentially as the capabilities of responders at all levels decrease or become overwhelmed.

"Critically, it has to be understood that there will be issues of unanticipated impacts that arise, or impacts which had not been fully understood."

The round-the-clock operations centres will report to the Cabinet Office and go live from March 18, less than two weeks before the UK is due to leave the bloc.

The document also says that the Department for Transport will not be able to cope with more than two emergencies at once.

The Labour MP Owen Smith told The Times: "This report lays out in brutal detail the impact of a no-deal Brexit: it's an economic catastrophe, and the prime minister must rule it out as an option. It would damage our country for generations."

Eloise Todd, chief executive of Best for Britain, added: "These documents are shocking and should be a wake-up call for MPs to take no-deal off the table."

Theresa May is also reportedly being warned by Greg Clark, the business secretary, that she must secure approval for her Brexit deal in the next fortnight or millions of pounds worth of British exports may be stuck in limbo.

Ships to and from Asia take six weeks, and are currently travelling under EU free-trade agreements.

But in the event of a no deal Brexit, it is unclear what the status of those goods would be.

A DfT spokesman said: "The Government remains focused on securing an agreement with the EU. However, it is only sensible that we prepare for all possible outcomes, and we have in place a wide range of contingency plans.

"We will not be offering further details as we do not comment on leaked documents."