Dad spends £6,000 preparing for disaster and stocks shelter with 25 years of food

A dad-of-three has spent £6,000 preparing for a potential catastrophe, stocking a specially equipped shelter with enough food to last up to 25 years, night vision goggles and emergency power supplies.

Brian Forbes, 52, has spent 16 years preparing for everything from devastating power cuts to war and environmental disasters. But while his wife has embraced his unusual hobby, his three children think he's completely lost the plot.

The engineer surveyor, who lives between Glasgow and Stirling, has transformed a garden workshop into an emergency store packed with hundreds of tins, military rations, radios and survival equipment.

And with fears about Britain's infrastructure and global instability growing, Brian has stepped up his spending dramatically this year.

"The spending has gone up this year, because I perceive the risk as higher," he said.

"I've probably spent around £6,000 so far this year. I've spent around £2,500 on freeze-dried foods, £2,000 on power banks, £500 on a new generator."

Inside the dad's £6,000 disaster preparations

Brian's survival headquarters is a 14ft by 12ft shed equipped with solar panels, air conditioning and its own power supply.

Inside are mountains of food supplies, including rice, pasta, flour, tinned goods and military ration packs, some designed to remain usable for up to 25 years.

His emergency equipment includes 12 power banks, eight walkie-talkies, high-frequency radios, wind-up radios, lanterns, headtorches and night vision goggles.

"It's not a bunker. I wish I had bunker money," he admitted.

"The goggles aren't for hunting people, obviously. They're just for power cuts in general. It means you don't have to walk around with a torch."

Why he started preparing for disaster

Brian began stockpiling in 2010 after severe winter weather brought parts of Scotland to a standstill, leaving supermarket shelves empty and motorists stranded.

With young children at home, he vowed never to be caught unprepared again.

By the time Covid struck, his family already had three months' worth of food, allowing them to avoid panic buying and supermarket queues.

Now his biggest concern is the reliability of Britain's electricity supply, rather than nuclear war or other apocalyptic scenarios.

"I think a zombie apocalypse and tinfoil hats are just nonsensical," he said.

'My kids think I've lost my marbles'

Brian's wife Donna, 51, initially questioned his spending but now shares the costs. Their children, aged 15, 27 and 29, remain unconvinced.

"They think dad's nuts, dad's crazy, he's lost his marbles," Brian admitted.

But despite receiving threats and abuse over his lifestyle, he has no intention of stopping.

"I may well be wrong but it's ultimately my money and time," he said.

"I only need to be right once."

And his advice to anyone considering emergency preparations is simple: "It doesn't have to cost thousands. You can prep on a budget, just start small."