Baked beans, bottled water and batteries have vanished from supermarket shelves as Britons rush to stock up following Government warnings of potential shortages and disruption from cyberattacks, extreme weather and hostile state threats.
asserted
Britons → bake → cyberattacks
Online giant Ocado saw a surge in demand for essentials over the weekend, with several brands of bottled water listed as out of stock on Monday.
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brands → see → Monday
Shoppers searching for Volvic, Highland Spring and Brecon Carreg were told to 'show alternatives' while various Heinz and Baxters soup lines also ran dry.
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lines → search → alternatives
An Ocado spokesman said it was working with its supply-chain partners to increase availability, with customers urged to check back or arrange delivery for later in the week.
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customers → say → week
Frozen food chain Iceland saw a 40 per cent jump in tinned product sales and strong bottled water sales, crediting the government's warning.
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Iceland → see → warning
'Our supplies remain healthy,' a spokesman from the supermarket said.
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spokesman → remain → supermarket
Booths, the northern chain, also reported year-on-year increases in sales of tinned goods, bottled water and batteries, with storms and flooding potentially influencing buying habits.
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storms → report → habits
The surge in stockpiling comes after the Government released a survivalist checklist in the new official 'Be Ready' guidance for emergencies – including having enough food and water for three days and cash in case the electronic payments system collapses.
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system → come → case
Online giant Ocado saw a surge in demand for essentials after the Government warned of potential shortages and disruption
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting is the face of the Government's 'Be Ready' campaign, a survival checklist for emergencies like severe weather, cyberattacks and foreign aggression
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Streeting → see → weather
The official checklist includes at least nine litres of water per person, foods that don't need electricity to cook, back-up chargers, and pet food.
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that → include → electricity
A wind-up or battery radio, loo roll and baby food are also advised in the print-and-keep document.
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radio → advise → document
Last Thursday, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting urged every household to prepare three days' worth of non-perishable food, bottled water, an FM radio and blankets in case of hybrid attacks by terrorists or rogue state actors.
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Streeting → urge → terrorists
Ministers have insisted the advice is part of a wider national resilience strategy aiming to prepare Britain for the triple risks of severe weather, cyberattacks and foreign aggression, particularly from Russia.
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advice → insist → Russia
But supermarkets have said they are better prepared for surges thanks to supply chain reforms following the Covid pandemic, which saw panic-buying trigger nationwide shortages of toilet paper, pasta and sanitiser.
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buying → say → paper
The Association of Convenience Stores also said there was no 'meaningful change' in weekend sales, but sources warn some shoppers may take the stockpiling advice to extremes.
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shoppers → say → extremes
In light of last week's storm weather, the Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner chaired a summit on wildfire dangers on Friday, where Mr Burnham declared: 'unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common'.
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events → chair → Friday
'Obviously weather events – and we're in a situation today where the UK is facing storms, and obviously we feel for the people without power in Cornwall right now – it is just having those supplies in the house to get you through those moments,' he said.
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he → face → moments
Prime Minister Andy Burnham and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner appearing at a summit on wildlife dangers in Liverpool
Ministers say the advice is part of a wider national resilience strategy aiming to prepare Britain for risks such as severe weather (Pictured: Waves crash over the promenade due to the affects of Storm Boelo in Largs, Scotland)
'
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Waves → appear → Largs
We are having that conversation about resilience.
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We → have → resilience
That's why we're holding this summit today, it's why we're putting the guidance out to the public.
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we → hold → public
'We potentially are facing a winter of greater flooding, so it's about recognising all of those risks and taking action.
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it → face → action
Storm Austen has brought severe conditions to parts of the South West, with a gust of 76mph recorded at St Mary's Airport on the Isles of Scilly on Friday and more than 16,000 homes going without power, according to National Grid.
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homes → bring → Grid
Of those, more than 5,000 are customers who have signed up to the priority services register of people who may have additional needs or require extra support.
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who → sign → support
The Met Office later issued an amber warning for wind, covering Cornwall, Devon and the Isles of Scilly, which was in effect from 1am until 10am on Friday.
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which → issue → Friday
An amber warning for wind from Storm Boelo was issued also for Scotland, the north coast of Northern Ireland, and Cumbria and Northumberland in the north of England from 9pm on Saturday.
Yet critics of the emergency plans have accused the Government of giving 'bossy lectures' and 'encouraging panic' while failing to ramp up spending on Britain's defence.
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critics → issue → defence
Earlier this week, Mr Burnham made light of the orders, telling BBC Radio 5's Matt Chorley show he would include Twiglets in his stockpile.
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he → make → stockpile
The PM said: 'I do like my beans, so I have plenty of those in the cupboard and soup.
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I → say → cupboard
I think those are the kind of things that I would recommend people to have as well as Twiglets.
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I → think → Twiglets
'I'm not sure I can get by for too long without those.'
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I → get → those
The Aporia
