Doug Gurr, Amazon’s UK manager, says the online giant is preparing for Britain to leave the EU without a trade deal RICHARD POHLE/THE TIMES

The head of Amazon in the UK has said that there could be “civil unrest” within two weeks if Britain leaves the European Union with no deal.

Amazon UK became the first business to issue such a warning. It was given at a meeting on Friday organised by Dominic Raab, the Brexit secretary.

Doug Gurr, UK manager for the American online giant, told the other guests, who included representatives of Britain’s biggest businesses, that this worst-case outcome formed part of his contingency planning.

The remark stunned those present, with some expressing scepticism about Amazon’s forecast.

An Amazon spokesman declined to confirm or deny the comments but said: “Like any business, we consider a wide range of scenarios in planning discussions so that we’re prepared to…