Supermarket bosses plead for an end to panic buying: Third of shoppers admit stockpiling as stores are stripped bare and left 'looking like a riot zone' as customers scrabble for loo rolls, pasta and long-life milk

• Shoppers were seen in queues at supermarkets as they tried to get their hands on toilet roll and sanitiser  
• Supermarket bosses are pleading with customers to calm down amid virus hysteria and stop stockpiling
• Major shop chains have been forced to ration after chaotic scenes of panic-buying across the country today
• The Army is now being readied as a contingency to guard supermarkets and secure food convoys 
• Coronavirus symptoms: what are they and should you see a doctor?
• Supermarket bosses launched a plea for calm among shoppers yesterday after a wave of panic-buying around the country cleared shelves as people stockpiled for the expected coronavirus epidemic.
  The chaotic scenes, with people scrabbling to load up with loo rolls, long-life milk and pasta, have led to rationing by the major shop chains - and triggered alarm in No 10.
  The issue has been high on the agenda of Boris Johnson's COBRA emergency meetings on the crisis, with the Army being readied as a contingency to guard supermarkets and secure food convoys.
  More than one third of shoppers have said they are stockpiling produce. 
• The British Retail Consortium (BRC), which represents most of Britain's supermarkets, said the rise in demand for certain products was 'unprecedented outside of the Christmas period', with the difference that it was focused mainly on 'hygiene and longer shelf-life food products'.
  

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  Trolleys piled high for delivery are seen as shoppers queue at an Asda checkout, while - in the background - stock from orders made by online customers is piled up in spare trolleys for delivery. Supermarkets are under huge pressure to meet demand 
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  Shoppers were seen in winding lines outside Savers supermarket in Wood Green, London, as they tried to get their hands on toilet roll, hand sanitiser and tinned goods amid nation-wide panic as Covid-19 grips the country
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  The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 across Europe is 40,677 and the number of deaths is 1,553. The World Health Organisation has said that Europe is the new epicentre of the virus