Supermarkets reinstate security on doors and double number of delivery slots amid fears of Covid panic buying as shelves are stripped of toilet roll, flour and frozen items
Supermarkets are boosting security at their doors and have doubled the number of delivery slots amid fears Covid-19 panic buying could return.
Shelves have been stripped of essentials including toilet roll, flour and frozen items up and down the country, while online booking slots are quickly filling up.
Britain's biggest chains have made assurances that they have enough stock and delivery slots to last, but shoppers were shocked to find empty shelves at the weekend.
Fearing a new lockdown could see a return to panic buying scenes witnessed in March, one shopper declared: 'It's happening again.'
It comes as Morrisons announced it will be reinstating marshals at its doors to limit the number of shoppers coming in and out, while also reminding them to wear face masks.
There are concerns that a second wave of panic buying has already begun as shoppers share photographs of supermarkets with the shelves stripped bare (above, ASDA in London
One woman was seen picking up 80 toilet rolls at a Tesco in Kennington, South London, today
Have you seen any panic buying?
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Concerned shoppers took to Twitter over the weekend to share photographs of their local supermarkets, showing shelves completely emptied of essential items.
One Twitter user shared photographs of an ASDA in London where cereals seemed in short supply, leaving shoppers with fewer brands to choose from.
Another shopper posted pictures of a Tesco in the West Midlands, where kitchen roll and toilet roll was in short supply - but had not been completely cleared out.
One person shared pictures on Twitter, writing: 'This was my local Tesco! People are already panic buying once again! Even though supermarkets do stay open.'
An ASDA shopper said: 'This is our ASDA it's madness and as you say even though they are staying open.'
Shelves have started to empty at supermarkets today, including at Tesco Extra store in Bolton
Canned goods and other items were starting to disappear from the shelves at the Bolton store
Shoppers were also purchasing bags of pasta, amid warnings of panic buying in recent days
Tesco has boosted its online ordering capacity to around 1.5million, but in its stores the shelves were emptying quickly
And another person predicted that 'It's happening again'.
Tesco's weekly ordering capacity has risen from 600,000 to 1.5million - but it remains fully booked until Wednesday.
There are three-day waiting times for Ocado, while Sainsbury's is experiencing high demand.
Morrisons has reinstated marshals to monitor customer numbers and remind them to wear masks, while Tesco has boosted its online ordering capacity
Sainsbury's revealed the number of Christmas pudding searches was four times higher than this time last year.
The online supermarkets pasted notices on their 'pick a slot' page warning customers the sites were experiencing high demand.
Ocado's read: 'Delivery slots are selling out faster than usual. If you can't find a slot now, please use the "Next 3 days" button to see available slots further in advance.'
Shoppers have shared their concern on Twitter about fears of a second wave of coronavirus fuelling the return of panic-buying, which was seen at the beginning of the crisis in March
Delivery slots for supermarkets, including Ocado and Sainsbury's, are also selling out 'faster than normal' as shoppers worry that a second wave of panic buying has already started
A notice on Sainsbury's delivery slots page said: 'Slots are still in high demand. We have been working hard to expand our service. More slots are now available and we are able to offer some of them to other customers.
'Customers who are vulnerable will get priority access and are able to book slots in advance of anyone else. We’re releasing new slots regularly so please check back if you can’t see any available.'
On Saturday, Tesco was fully booked until Wednesday with an available slots all priced at £5.50 - and there were no available spaces until Monday at Asda.
Toilet roll and kitchen roll was seemingly in shorter supply than normal at a Tesco in the West Midlands, with one shopper sharing pictures of the bare shelves on Twitter
Andrew Opie, head of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told The Mirror: 'We urge consumers to be considerate and shop for food as they would usually during this difficult time.'
One supermarket worker in Birmingham told the paper: 'Some people are definitely panic buying again. We have 4,000 more items this weekend than we usually would.
'When the panic buying started months ago, we hadn't experienced it. We are prepared now.'
Concerned shoppers shared pictures of panic buying from stores in London and other parts of the country
The Prime Minister is now threatening to 'intensify' coronavirus restrictions as he blames the British public for the rise in cases - despite his repeated pleas for people to return to their desks and eat out at pubs and restaurants in a bid to resuscitate Britain's economy.
Government scientists have spooked Boris Johnson with warnings of hundreds of daily coronavirus deaths 'within weeks' as they said: 'There is no alternative to a second national lockdown.'
Mr Johnson looks to ditch his Rule of Six and introduce fortnight-long 'circuit breakers' nationwide for six months, following claims that it was 'inevitable' that a second wave would hit the country.
The new approach to get the UK through winter would see it alternate periods of stricter measures, including bans on all social contact between households and shutting down hospitality and leisure venues like bars and restaurants, with intervals of relaxation. Schools will be shut as a 'last resort', a Whitehall source claimed.