Sharp rise in sales of some essential goods after government call to stock up

Some major retailers have seen a dramatic increase in sales of essential goods after the government called on the nation to stock up in case of a crisis, according to figures obtained by BBC Newsnight.

The Iceland supermarket chain told the programme it was "clear" that consumers had listened to warnings after it saw a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend.

The rise in sales came after Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said last week that people should stockpile goods to be prepared for an emergency such as a cyber attack or an extreme weather event.

Many of the items cited by Streeting appeared in the list of goods gathered by Newsnight whose sales have shot up.

Newsnight also found:

The Maplin figures cover the period since the government's announcement last week compared with the same period last month.

"Within hours of the Be Ready announcement we saw people reach for the basics - a torch, a wind-up radio, a power bank. Torch sales nearly quadrupled and radio sales almost doubled in three days," said Ollie Marshall, managing director at Maplin.

"These are simple, affordable products that keep a household connected and informed when the power goes out, and it's encouraging to see people taking the advice seriously."