Preparing for a crisis in the Norfolk countryside

“The assumption is a breakdown of civil society; that the government in London ceases to be able to maintain order in rural Norfolk,” says Peter Dawe, outlining his worst-case scenario.

Dawe, who describes himself as a “serial entrepreneur”, made millions in the 1990s when he sold Pipex, the UK’s first commercial internet provider, with some of the money going towards a farm near Watton.

Over the last two decades he has been planning how the working arable and livestock farm can be self-sufficient in the event of a disaster.

“We have our own flour mill, we have our own oil press, we have our own dairy – we make award-winning cheese – and our own butchery,” he explains.

Dawe says that with solar power, the facilities to make biofuel from rapeseed oil and a borehole for water, the farm could support 500 people in the area.

He explains that he thinks the government is most likely to collapse if it can no longer ensure food supplies.

While that may sound far-fetched, earlier this month, the National Audit Office warned the government was too reliant on the private sector to deal with food supply disruption.

And the government’s national risk register, external was updated this year with seven new risks, including cyber-attacks on police systems and water infrastructure, as well as interference in the UK’s democratic process.

In the meantime, Dawe says he is building links to others with food production skills “very gently” by hosting a monthly farmers’ market.

“We don’t go around saying we’re expecting imminent disaster. But getting that network is really important.”