BOSTON -- "Unprepared" -- that's the name of Boston mayoral candidate Maura Hennigan's new campaign ad.

In the ad, NewsCenter 5's Janet Wu reported, Hennigan accuses Mayor Thomas Menino of leaving the city vulnerable to biological weapons and more.

The controversial ad tries to tie last year's riots by baseball and football fans to the threat of terrorist attacks and Boston's readiness to respond.

"And now Mayor Menino wants to put biological weapons in your back yard," the ad says.

Menino said Hennigan is just trying to scare up votes.

"We're not allowed in America to build bio-chemical weapons. In America, that is illegal. The tactic she is using just to scare. Unfortunately, you have to go to those lengths in the last week of a campaign," Menino said.

At issue is a parcel of land on Albany Street across the Boston Medical Center. Federal approval is pending on the construction of a biological research lab -- a level four facility. Only five such facilities exist in the country.

"It's probably the safest labs we have built in America. It is a vault within a vault," said Menino.

"Tom Menino talks about a vault within a vault. How are we going to be transmitting these agents? A truck within a truck? We see everyday on our major highways, on our local streets accidents that occur. Sadly, we know terrorists come into our cities," Hennigan said.

In a statement, Sen. Edward Kennedy promised that the proposed labs would be one of the safest in the world and would exceed the most stringent state and federal requirements.

Hennigan will appear in a 30-minute Commitment 2005 Boston Votes special Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Mayor Thomas Menino declined WCVB's offer to appear in a similar program.