Coronavirus: Peterborough’s shopping nightmare as workers abused, opening hours for vulnerable ignored and food ‘stolen from trolleys’

Empty shelves, staff being abused and food supplies for people with allergies running out has made it a nightmare for shoppers.

Here, the Peterborough Telegraph hears from our readers, an NHS midwife and a shop worker in the city about their experiences.

Shop worker

“I’ve had numerous people be rude and demanding. People expect the impossible from us, we get sworn at all the time. They expect us to conjure up toilet roll and think we’re lying if there’s none out on the shelves.

“A lot of people are disregarding the measures in place, which are there to keep us safe. Almost half of my colleagues are in isolation, deliveries are unpredictable and late because a lot of drivers are in isolation too. It’s a nightmare.”

NHS midwife Sarah Hamilton

Sarah produced a video explaining how her daughter is allergic to dairy yet people are hoarding free-from items which she is desperately trying to buy.

She said: “People have started buying from the free-from aisles even though they have no reason whatsoever to be eating from there.

“Just please spare a thought for those who actually can’t have those products that are on all the other shelves and only have half an aisle on a normal week’s shop, and now you’ve taken that away from us.

“I’m dairy free because my daughter seems to have an allergy from it, and now I’m going to have to have dairy because there’s nothing on those aisles.

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Readers’ stories:

Jean Yeates wrote:

I saw your article about Asda. I went there myself for 7am because I felt it would be safer at that time due to my severe lung condition which will cause me to get pneumonia if I get the virus. Online shopping is not possible now.

It was dreadful and dangerous. There was no control of who/how many entered the store. As stated by other people it was used by anybody. I saw a young guy with his trolley full of beer!

We were shuffling around the aisles and the queues were a tight squeeze. There were families there with kids. Everything that the old, vulnerable are trying to keep away from we had to experience.

There should have been control at the door - proof of medical condition/age and the numbers limited.

Also, half the shelves were empty when they should have been restocked overnight. It was a bloody disgrace and I will never go back to Asda. That’s if I make it to the other side of this pandemic.

Robin Yeomans wrote in:

Please chase Tesco Serpentine Green on their 9am - 10am priority shopping for over 70s.

I went in today at 8,45am. Many shelves were mostly empty. There were plenty of bemused pensioners and a fair number of non-pensioners too with not much to buy.

I asked a suited member of staff about the policy and he said that the problem was 1. they cannot stop under 70s from shopping 9-10, 2. that they open at 6am with queues so that by 8.30 over-70s are too late.

It’s not his or the staff’s fault. But this means that Tesco company policy is a lip-service farce. Either make over-70s hour 6-7 or don’t open until 9am.

Eileen Allert wrote in:

I normally do my weekly shop in Asda city centre. During the week lots of items I get on a weekly shop were unavailable. I can only say it’s because the items are picked and packed last minute some hours before delivery, so on the day of delivery basic items were unavailable. I had to wait three days for delivery. I can only imagine what would happen if I waited longer.

I feel so sorry for those vulnerable already in self-isolation, they will get absolutely nothing in Peterborough.

On Tuesday, because I couldn’t get majority of the food I went to Hyperama - it was appalling. The queue was all the way to the roundabout.

People were pulling up in vans and SUVs filling them to the brim with bags and packs of toilet roll, rice, pasta, oil, flour and full boxes of cleaning stuff! Huge warehouse shelves were empty!

There were people there taking their relatives with them and double stockpiling if there was a limit, whilst the ones well off were smirking at those who had little on their trolleys.

I even observed a man going to and from three times filling his SUV up.

Also, a woman with her own goods on her trolleys sneakily trying to take things from others’ trolleys when they turned their backs.

Queuing to pay for goods was another story, others were in such close proximity of each other. Had anyone contracted the virus everyone would have gotten it and been a super-spreader.

It was like the apocalypse.

The whole experience traumatised me - what selfish centred people are out there with no empathy for others. It’s extremely heartbreaking.

When I got home I cried.

PT readers on Facebook

Mandy Wesley Ambrose: It so ridiculous I have been out 3 times a day for 4 days from shop to shop trying to get any food in there nothing.

Assad Yacoub: For 4 days I’ve been trying to place an order on Waitrose website and it’s still down. I went there yesterday and I came back with 2 packets of gluten-free muesli. We pay enough in prices and they can’t even get their bloody act together. Shameful!

P.s I’m having breakfast without eggs!

Gabriela Olaru: As per few minutes ago: Aldi hampton have fresh meat vegs and fruit no toilet paper no soap no eggs no flour no pasta Tesco direct same as aldi although less fresh meat. No cans anyywhere either

Anita Rawlinson: There are no deliveries available from either Asda or Iceland for the forseeable. No click n collect from Asda.

A friends shopping was stolen from outside Aldi, Maskew Avenue, while she was putting her child in her car seat. What a sad state of affairs, Aldi was informed. Be careful not only in the stores but coming out

Mary May: My husband just back from Tesco Serpentine and he said no cleaning products shelves half empty and people of all ages shopping although between 9-10 was for elderly.

Darren Gilbert: Its unreal. I cannot believe it. By the time I finish work at 5:30 the shelves are empty. I’ve got 3 young children at home and I’m really worried about being able to feed them.

Nigel Smith: Well my carer took me to Tescos Market Deeping at 8:45 and most the stuff had gone and there was no refilling for OAP’s and disabled people at all :-( at five to nine there was an announcement that this hour was reserved for the above and to make their way to the tills but how many people respected this? that’s right hardly anyone even the staff said this was not planned very well for disabled and OAP’s especially when all the able-bodied folk had stripped the shelves :-( self-distancing measures where zero :-( all in all this was a bun fight with an open invite for vulnerable people to have to fight there way through :-(

Gay Lyons: We went to M&S at Brotherhoods at 8am for the elderly and disabled shopping hour, we managed to get what we needed, and was comfortable to go round, no sign of stockpiling or greed, which was so different when we popped across to Morrisons for a couple of cleaning products, trolleys piled high with products which will most likely go off in a few days, there is going to be so much waste. !!

Sue Neale: Mile long queue outside Savers this morning!

Rachael Thorn: It’s crazy. Yesterday morning the shelves in Sainsbury’s Bretton were void of food and all cleaning and washing products by midday.

Janet McAllister: I also went to Marks & Spencer brotherhoods this morning (elderly) got what I needed shelves not as well stocked as usual but didn’t see anyone buying excessive amounts of anything, thanks marks and also thank you to your staff

Laura Louise Joy: Asda store was well stocked and the staff and management are working tirelessly to refill shelves. Usual stuff was missing like loo roll, soap and pasta but the rest of the store is being well maintained. Did a normal weekly shop this morning stress free. Well done guys

Joanna Bacon: I tried Morrisons Cardea first thing, barely any fruit and veg and no fresh meat at all. Went to Aldi next to B&Q and they had everything I needed, just really long queues. Had to get some birthday presents for my children (both birthdays in the coming weeks) and Queesgate was deserted, it felt so very strange and sad