Germany could be caught short on loo roll in energy crisis

GERMANY will be faced with a shortage of lavatory paper if the Kremlin ceases to supply Europe with gas.

Berlin is trying to reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels but there are fears Vladimir Putin could impose a rapid embargo on exports this winter.

Such a move by the Russian president would trigger the closure of a third of German factories and its entire construction industry, according to a diplomatic note seen by The Daily Telegraph.

Without gas to keep the country’s plants operating, supplies of loo roll, newspapers and other everyday essentials would run short.

Lavatory paper has been identified as a particular concern because manufacturing it is very energy-intensive.