Food Brits should eat if water supplies fail in national power outage revealed in leaked document

BRITS should eat watermelon if water supplies fail in a national power outage, say crisis planners.

Sinking beers is better than nothing — but dehydrating spirits such as vodka and whisky are a no-no.

The advice features in a document leaked to The Sun about Project Yarrow — No 10’s analysis of how we might react to a power cut or water shortage.

The report suggests eating fruit high in water content, and even drinking or washing in rainwater collected in buckets.

The nation will be told to go to bed early in the event of a heating crisis.

People may also be asked to stick together in one room and share beds.

Three behavioural science experts at the Government Communication Service gave their report to the Cabinet Office earlier this year.

The National Grid is on standby to take ‘enhanced actions’ to shore up power supplies this weekend as wind levels drop.

A source told The Sun: “The worst-case scenarios are very real and it is important that preparations are made — even if it means swapping toilets for buckets in a water shortage.”

Amid the dire warnings, the authors attempt some humour, saying: “People may feel they are being kept in the dark (informationally, and literally!).”

There are alerts about no phone signal or public transport. Riots, looting and panic-buying are planned for.

A government spokesman said: “It is right we plan for all potential scenarios, no matter how unlikely.”