PETS at Home has revealed it would consider further stockpiling animal food and other products ahead of the new October Brexit deadline if no deal remains on the cards.

Peter Pritchard, the chief executive of the company which has stores in Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Bolton, Walkden, Bury and Prestwich, said the group had already run down the £4million of extra stocks built up in advance of the original March 29 Brexit deadline.

But he said the group would look to rekindle stock-building efforts if the prospect of a no-deal Brexit risks disruption to its product supply in the autumn.

He said: “We will always protect customer availability. Our focus is on making sure our customers can buy the things they want.”

Pets at Home has previously warned that 17 per cent of its goods come from outside the UK, and its stock supply could be disrupted in the event of delays at ports and borders under a no-deal Brexit.

But Mr Pritchard said that as a pet retailer, it has been shielded from some of the Brexit uncertainties hitting other retailers and businesses.

“Pets are part of the family and we can see even through these challenging times that people continue to spend on their pet,” he said.