Labour’s stockpile warning sparks chaos as essential items ‘sell out’

The checklist advises stocking up on bottled water and non-perishable food, a battery or wind-up FM radio to receive updates during outages and cash in case electronic payments or cash machines are disrupted. The advice aims to ensure the public is prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted as a result of incidents like a cyber attack or extreme weather.

Shoppers were unable to buy several brands of bottled water and other stockpiling essentials from online grocer Ocado on Monday, according to reports. An Ocado spokesman told The Times: “We’ve seen an increase in demand for some products over the weekend and are working with our supply-chain partners to increase availability as soon as possible. We’d encourage customers looking for a specific product to keep checking back as stock is replenished daily or arrange a delivery for later in the week.”

Supermarket chain Iceland told BBC Newsnight it saw a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend. Iceland said it was “clear consumers have listened to the Government’s message”.

It also reported “strong sales” of bottled water, while stressing its supplies “remain healthy”. Booths, the supermarket chain based in northern England, said it had also seen “some year-on-year sales increases” among categories such as tinned goods, bottled water and batteries, The Telegraph reports.

However, it added this rise could also be related to last week’s two storms. BBC Newsnight also reported Robert Dyas had a 160% increase in sales of radios compared with last week.

Meanwhile, Maplin said radio sales rose by 92%, torches rose by 284% and the sale of power banks has risen by 106% covering the period since the Government’s announcement last week compared with the same period last month. Mr Streeting told the BBC it was “encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready”.

He added: “Having a few everyday essentials at home, from tinned food to torches, helps households prepare for disruption, whether that’s flooding, power cuts or burst pipes.We can all play our part in making Britain more resilient.”

The stockpiling advice is the first stage of the Government’s three-year “Be Ready” campaign. Checking eligibility and signing up for the priority services register for specific support during outages is also part of the guidance.

Mr Streeting has denied accusations of scaremongering, saying he wants people to be “alert but not alarmed”.