British Troops Offered Anthrax Vaccination

British troops will be offered anthrax vaccinations, providing "vital protections against a deadly danger", the Defence Secretary has announced.

Gavin Williamson said the vaccine would provide "vital protections against a deadly danger".

He was speaking at his first keynote speech since being appointed Defence Secretary last year, where he said Russia should "go away and shut up".

The speech follows the attack on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter in Salisbury and the growing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threat from a range of state actors.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed last month they were "considering" expanding an anthrax vaccination for UK personnel.

The voluntary vaccination will ensure that personnel are protected and ready to deploy to areas where a risk of attack exists.

Anthrax is a spore-producing bacterium and is often used as a weapon in a powder, spray or as an aerosol - with inhalation the most dangerous form of transmission and usually fatal.