Burnham suggests stocking up on tinned food and bottled water

Prime Minister Andy Burnham has advised British households to stock up on tinned food and bottled water to be ready for emergencies, telling the BBC that "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common".

Speaking amid storms battering the UK and in the wake of online disruption caused by a major security flaw, Burnham defended government guidance recommending households keep three days' worth of supplies to cope with crises such as war, a cyber-attack or a natural disaster.

The government's checklist recommends nine litres of water per person — enough for three days — alongside non-perishable food such as tinned meat and vegetables or dried fruit. It also suggests a battery or wind-up FM radio, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, toiletries, pet food, baby supplies, a torch, blankets, a charged power bank, cash in case payment systems collapse, a first aid kit and copies of important documents.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live's Matt Chorley, Burnham said he keeps plenty of baked beans and soup in his own cupboards, adding: "I think those are the kind of things that I would recommend people to have."

Speaking at a wildfire resilience summit in Liverpool, he denied the government had failed to prepare. "We're living in a world where unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common," he said, pointing to storms and people left without power in Cornwall.

Last month, the National Audit Office warned that Britain's food supply chain is at risk from cyber-attacks and the climate crisis. The Cold Chain Federation told the BBC the UK is being targeted by Russian cyber-hackers who "know that there are pinch points in the food supply system".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said families could stock up but questioned what the government was doing about defence and cyber-attacks. Treasury minister James Murray admitted he had not yet followed the guidance himself, beyond stockpiling coffee.