Millions of households stockpiling tins and bottled water after official advice, research suggests

More than one in three UK adults have started stockpiling tins and dried goods, or aim to, in the wake of the government’s advice, research has revealed. A similar number are doing the same with bottled water, one in four with spare batteries, and the same for toiletries. Only 44% say their household currently has enough food and drinking water to last at least three days - how long the government has told all households to have on hand to get through a national emergency.

To see more of the stories you love from The Mirror and to find them easily in Google then make us your preferred source. Free and easy-to-do, just click on the link here to find more from The Mirror at the top of your feed. The results of the survey by Barclays show the scale to which people have reacted to the government’s recent Be Ready campaign. The items mentioned include bottled water, non-perishable food, a battery or wind-up FM radio to receive updates during outages, and cash in case electronic payments are disrupted.

Younger adults are less prepared, with only 31% of 18 to 34-year-olds having enough, compared with 53% of those aged 55 and over This is a calmer kind of stocking up than at the start of the pandemic, when Barclays data showed supermarket spending jumped 49% in the week before the first lockdown. Marks & Spencer said it had seen some rise in key categories such as canned goods and water but that stock levels have been “manageable”. Steven Fergus, head of retail at Barclays, said: “A lot of people are clearly asking themselves, ‘what would I do if the power went off or the taps ran dry for a few days?’

That’s a sensible question. And this feels very different to the empty shelves of 2020. It’s people putting an extra tin or a pack of batteries in the trolley, just in case. “The worry is that fewer than half of households could get through three days right now, and younger people are the least ready. You don’t need to do it all in one go. Adding one or two bits to your weekly shop is an easy way to get there without a big hit to your budget.”

The research follows recent figures obtained by BBC Newsnight that showed supermarket chain Iceland had seen a 40% increase in sales of tinned products while Robert Dyas' radio sales jumped 160% in a week. Maplin said sales of radios were up 92%, torches 284% and power banks 106%. Some supermarkets have even run out a few items. Tesco's website shows a pack of 12 bottles of 500ml own brand British natural mineral water is out of stock online, though more expensive brands are still available.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Newsnight: "It's encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready. 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." Prime Minister Andy Burnham defended the stockpiling advice, saying that unexpected events were becoming less rare.

He warned alcohol should not be a priority in their store cupboards in the face of a disaster.