Panic buyers flock to 'prepper' after UK government issued chilling 'emergency kit' warning

A shopkeeper at a survival and outdoor store has said he has seen an increase in customers panic-buying since the Government launched a new website advising Brits to become ‘preppers’.

The Government on Wednesday launched a new website, prepare.campaign.gov.uk, which sets out guidance for the public to prepare for crises. Households are advised to stock up on tinned food, bottled water and a battery-powered or wind radio to prepare for a national emergency, it says.

Leigh Price owner of The Bug Out survivalist shop in Wales said some of his new customers are “panic buying” in preparation for when “disaster strikes”. Supermarkets issued warnings in the wake of the new government advice amid fears panicked shoppers could strip shelves bare.

Former soldier Mr Price said: “Its been a steady incline. It goes up and down so when there's like something on the news you have some who panic buy but others that know their bread and butter come throughout the year.” His shop sells everything from self-heating vacuum sealed meals, to water purification tablets and “bivvy bags” for outdoor sleeping.

The Bug Out in Wales caters to all kinds of preppers and survivalists looking to survive a coming catastrophe

“It's just common sense [to stock up]. You're making sure no matter where you are in the country that you've got enough supplies whatever happens. It's an insurance policy,” he told MailOnline. He added: “People's main concerns are how can I live as normal as possible at any period of time when a sort of disaster strikes.”

The new Government website provides a document that members of the public can download and fill out to help them prepare a plan for situations where they have no electricity, phone, or internet connection. It recommends having three days worth of supplies.

Among items the website says people should stock up on, it lists spare batteries for torches and radios, or a portable power bank for charging your mobile phone. It also suggests keeping a first aid kit, wet wipes, hand sanitiser and baby supplies like nappies and formula in the cupboard.

The new advice lists things like floods, another pandemic, a mass cyberattack, a volcanic Eruption or even a nuclear strike in Europe, are potential scenarios Brits should be mindful of. However Mr Price isn’t worried about the weather in the UK which he called “fairly timid” compared to other parts of the world.

“What I'm preparing for up here is external factors whether it's an impending financial crash or what looks like World War Three,” he said. “It's what people can do to make sure their family's safe.”