THE countdown has now begun in earnest for residents to sign up to take part in a pioneering BBC science documentary to simulate how pandemic flu – the deadliest threat to world health – could spread through a small close-knit community.

Members of the BBC Pandemic project due to be screened early next year, have been out and about, including taking a stall at the farmers’ market, to encourage as many residents as possible to download a special app on their smartphones so they can take part in the TV programme.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine will use the anonymised data to model how a highly contagious disease could spread through Haslemere in order to work out how best the government could stop it, if it happens in ‘real life’.

Through the app, BBC Pandemic is conducting two experiments: the ‘National Outbreak’, which is open to anyone in the UK, and the ‘Haslemere Outbreak’ – a closed local study that will provide key data.

Anyone of any age with a smartphone, who lives, works or shops in town, can download the BBC Pandemic app now from Google Play or Apple App Store and select the ‘Haslemere Outbreak’.

They will not be asked anything that can identify them and nothing more will happen until 12am, on Thursday, October 12.

That is the date the Haslemere study goes ‘live’ for a 72-hour period.

The app will not identify participants, but will track and store their location movements during the 72-hour period via GPS, wifi, or wireless network triangulation.

On Sunday, October 15, at the end of the 72 hours, participants will be told how they can discover if, when and where they were “infected”, but they will be sworn to silence until the results are broadcast to the world next year.

BBC Pandemic executive producer Danielle Peck said: “Hopefully it has made a difference, meeting people in Haslemere and spreading the word.

“The more people who download the Haslemere Outbreak app, the better and more accurate the scientific simulation will be.

“This is a genuine science experiment and its validity depends on the number of Haslemere downloads to ensure the science is as good as it can be.

“Haslemere is the starting point for the outbreak and the computer simulation will show how it could spread from one place to the rest of the country.

“Some people have said they don’t like the idea of being tracked, but the data will be totally anonymous.

“There will be nothing to identify who is taking part. We are being incredibly careful in protecting individuals. It’s only for three days and hopefully the data can be used for the benefit of science and the greater good.

“Haslemere can be justifiably proud it contributed to something quite special.”