Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has told people in Merseyside to keep spare water, tinned goods and battery-powered torches and radios at home, warning of "sinister threats" alongside the challenges of bad weather. He spoke during a visit to Liverpool on board the Dutch naval ship HNLMS Johan de Witt, which docked at the city's cruise liner terminal as part of a UK-Netherlands defence engagement.
Mr Streeting was joined on the vessel by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. The ECHO asked the Defence Secretary whether he had any guidance for the people of Merseyside ahead of what looks set to be a difficult winter of bad weather and a rising threat from bad actors.
Cyberattacks and Bomb Threats
The visit comes after cyberattacks across Europe forced supermarkets to throw away millions of pounds in food after refrigerators and freezers were impacted. On the same day, a number of flights across Europe - including ones from London and Manchester - were suddenly grounded and searched after bomb threats were made affecting a number of routes and airlines.
Mr Streeting previously said people needed to prepare for the threat of "state-sponsored terrorism" by Russia or other hostile powers targeting everyday infrastructure. The government has recently suggested people should stock up on essentials in case of outages.
Household Resilience Advice
Asked what the people of Merseyside should be doing to prepare for difficult times ahead, Mr Streeting told the ECHO: "If we think about some of the challenges we have seen this year in terms of wild fires, or the challenges we are likely to see this year in terms of flooding, bad weather, all of those things can be addressed through a basic level of national resilience that if we are honest, we sometimes lack.
"It is things like having spare supplies if water in your house, some tinned goods, battery powered torches and radios. All of these things help to build household resilience and national resilience."
He added: "When we launched the campaign there was a great level of interest and I was challenged by some of the empty shelves in the supermarkets. But that told me two things, whether it is something like water outages, a power cut or something more sinister like a power cut, having that level of basic resilience helps all of us to be read for the unexpected.
"It's not just bad weather we need to worry about, it is also bad actors - whether that is state-sponsored terrorism or non-state actors and forces that would do us harm."
Dutch King's Liverpool Itinerary
During his visit to Liverpool, the Dutch King visited the Cammell Laird shipyard (now known as the Balaena Birkenhead) and travelled to see sports facilities in Anfield. He also attended the British Music Experience to hear about Liverpool's musical history before walking to see The Beatles statue at the Pier Head.
After joining those on board the ship, the king later attended a reception at Liverpool Town Hall.
