SHOPPERS have started stockpiling food and toilet roll despite being warned against panic-buying as the government announced further coronavirus restrictions.

These pictures show the Adsa superstore in Hollingbury, Brighton, where there has been a run on pasta and other non-perishable goods.

Photographs showing similar scenes at the Asda superstore in Marina Square have also been shared on social media.

The Argus:

However, the situation does not currently appear to be as bad as during lockdown earlier this year, when supermarkets struggled to cope with demand.

Today, Prime Minister Boris Johnston announced a host of new restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of coronavirus, including a curfew 10 pm on pubs from Thursday.

Following the announcement, Comfort Karim, 18, told The Argus she was stockpiling water for fear of a second lockdown.

She said: “The lines were long and we had to wait a couple of times.

“The shelves were actually full compared to the other places I have seen.

“I don’t want to go back and that’s why I bought a pile of water. There could be another lockdown.”

The Argus:

However, one shopper told The Argus that the idea of panic buying was "stupid" and anyone doing it should stop.

Sally Bream told The Argus that the Asda at Brighton Marina was "calm" and well stocked when she visited earlier today with plenty of tins of baked beans.

She said: "In the toilet roll section things are looking a little thin and empty. Is this a sign that people are anticipating another lockdown?"

Supermarket giants Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Lidl and Aldi have said they had “good availability” and have not experienced any shortages yet.

Tesco said its online capacity had almost doubled from 600,000 weekly delivery slots in March, to 1.5 million in September.

The Argus:

Director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, Andrew Opie, said: “Supply chains are stronger than ever before, and we do not anticipate any issues in the availability of food or other goods under a future lockdown.

“Nonetheless, we urge consumers to be considerate of others and shop as they normally would.”

He added that retailers had done an “excellent job” making sure customers have access to food throughout the pandemic while installing perspex screens and other social distancing measures.

Under the new regulations announced earlier, shop staff will have to wear face masks and weddings will be limited to a maximum of 15 people.

Fines for breaking laws on gatherings and not wearing a mask will increase to £200 for a first offence.