A GIANT inflatable air shelter designed by a Huddersfield firm could play a key role in the fight against terrorism.

Longwood-based Aire Group has invented a huge inflatable `building' big enough to cover a fighter jet.

One of the uses of the cover is to help in the aftermath of a dirty bomb, which could unleash a deadly bug such as anthrax.

Any contaminated vehicles would be covered by the shelter.

They can then be cleaned, using vaporised hydrogen peroxide, a chemical used in bleach.

Richard Bailey ,Aire Group chief executive said: "The result would be that any vehicles put through the system would be made sterile.

"It can also be used to cleanse ambulances and police vehicles of the killer bug MRSA, along with TB, E-coli, salmonella, flu, botulism and even smallpox."

The company is already well known for its Aireshelta buildings, used at disasters and emergency incidents world-wide, including the Selby train crash and murder scenes.

The cleansing system does not interfere with electronic equipment used by the contaminated vehicles.