UK supermarket starts rationing as panic buying strips shelves bare

Supermarket giant Tesco has started rationing food and drink as panicked shoppers are stripping shelves bare across the country.

Tesco are limiting the number of items to customers of dry pasta, baked beans, hand sanitiser UHT milk and baked bean tins that each customer can purchase.

On Saturday, Tesco confirmed that shoppers would be limited to five items, the rationing will also apply to online orders from Sunday.

Supermarket chiefs across the UK are preparing for “empty shelves and riots” as coronavirus is “highly likely” to accelerate within days and weeks.

A former Tesco executive, Bruno Monteyne gave a stark warning that a major outbreak of the virus will lead to “empty shelves and riots.”

Monteyne said, “If a major coronavirus outbreak happens, that will quickly lead to panic buying, empty shelves and food riots.

“Plans are surely being drawn up with suppliers to rationalise product ranges when necessary.”

Monteyne who is a senior industry analyst and a former Tesco executive said online deliveries could stop over coronavirus fears.

He said, “If we really get to a bad outbreak with major staff shortages, I think there will be a case to be made that the drivers will be better utilised in keeping the shelves full and supporting the core operation of feeding the nation.

“How responsible is it for a self-isolating person to get a driver to deliver to him?

‘Why put the person that feeds you at risk of getting the virus?”