The infrastructure of the capital of the European Union is not ready to deal with a potential terrorist attack, the governor of Brussels, also the capital of Belgium, was quoted yesterday as saying.

Brussels is not only the capital of the 25-nation EU but also the headquarters of the NATO military alliance.

Governor Veronique Paulus de Chatelet told Belgian radio all 714 public places in Brussels - hospitals, shopping centres, train and subway stations - need to draw up emergency plans to be used by the fire department in case of a major incident. These plans contain the entry and exit points of these venues and detail where fire fighters have access to water.

But only 83 of such plans have been drawn up, she said. In the case of the subway system, only the plans for one out of three stations are finished.

"On 68 subway stations only 22 of of these plans have been drawn up," Ms Paulus de Chatelet told VRT radio.

Britain has been on high alert since July 7 when suicide bombers killed 52 people on London's underground network and a bus.