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The British Army could be drafted in to help run local councils and calculate taxes in the event of a crash-out Brexit, according to new analysis of Operation Yellowhammer.

Snippets of the hush-hush Whitehall dossier, outlining UK planning in the event of No Deal, have been leaked to the public by the national media in recent months.

Now fresh scrutiny of a 'hard Brexit' - which some consider the worst case scenario - reveals how councils would be forced to quickly change the way they work.

According to Private Eye, thousands of civil servants working for local authorities up and down the country would be deployed to Westminster to cope with a swell in administrative duties to prevent chaos at the Dover and Irish borders and speed up port checks.

The British Army - including territorial volunteers - would then in turn be deployed to run town halls and perform civil servant duties; including but not limited to the delivery of everyday public services and sorting through council tax payments.

(Image: Britsih Army/MoD)

One military chief, according to the current affairs news magazine, is concerned troops lack 'basic literacy and numeracy' skills to carry out such functions.

"Quite how they would get on in calculating council tax, or providing adult social care and children's services, remains to be seen," Private Eye observed.

The revelations come after Plymouth City Council Labour boss, Councillor Tudor Evans, warned of a brutal economic shock in the event of No Deal.

His concerns came amid a request from Whitehall for local authorities to step in and help businesses hit by an EU exit.

Cllr Evans said the council had no additional funds to help - and has already been hammered with massive austerity cuts.

And he warned how ministers had failed so far to dish out £20million to authorities to cover Brexit-related costs.

No Deal Brexit - Will it actually happen?

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No Deal Brexit - the scenario where the UK fails to agree trade deal terms with Europe - could actually be taken off the table together, despite PM Boris Johnson's pledge to push it through if it meant delivering upon the result of the 2016 EU Referendum.

That's because the House of Lords today passed a Bill to thwart No Deal - which this week got through the Commons. It now needs Royal Assent for it to be enshrined in law.

But whether the Government will ignore it or not is anyone's guess - although it may be forced to challenge through the courts to get Brexit over the line on October 31.

The Tories may also trigger a General Election - which could determine the eventual outcome.

Alternatively, the Government could accept the end of No Deal - and subsequently request a further delay to Brexit, subject to EU approval.

Regardless, if no official deal with the EU is agreed by October 19, then the Prime Minister will be legally obliged to ask the EU for another extension to Brexit.

Boris' way around that, if he refused to plead for an extension, would be to go to the polls.