Margaret Thatcher came close to declaring emergency in 1984 in the wake of the miners' strike in Britain and considered passing a new law giving extra powers to soldiers, according to government documents.

Thatcher, the then Prime Minister, considered ordering an emergency recall of Parliament to pass the new law giving extra powers for soldiers to replace striking workers, newly-released documents by the National Archives show.

The then US President Ronald Reagan, one of Thatcher's closest allies, sent her a private cable of support at this point. The American president wrote: "I just wanted you to know that my thoughts are with you as you address these important issues. I'm confident as ever that you and your government will come out of this well"