As the coronavirus crisis surges in the UK, shoppers are emptying shelves as fears grow over the spread.
Desperate shoppers have been panic-buying essentials in bulk, including toilet paper, pasta, hand sanitiser, tinned food and medication.
The British Retail Consortium sent letters to consumers asking everyone to calm the panic and support one another in the face of unprecedented demand.
"We would ask everyone to be considerate in the way they shop ... but buying more than is needed can sometimes mean that others will be left without," it read.
In Wimbledon, supermarket shelves were stripped bare despite Tesco and Sainsbury’s restricting the amount customers can buy.
One shopper told 1 NEWS the panic was driven by fears over being forced into quarantine or self-isolation.
"If my husband or I fall sick or the kids' schools close, I need to be sure I don’t run short on essentials at home for 14 days," she said.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has always insisted that scientific and medical advice does not point to any need for the public to stockpile.
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