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CORONAVIRUS panic-buyers were today queuing down the aisles at 6am to fill their trolleys – despite stores issuing strict rules and limiting customers to buy just three of each item.

Pictures from around the country show thousands of desperate customers lining up to pay for their goods as more heartbreaking images emerged showing elderly people staring at empty shelves.

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A huge queue forms around the car park at 7am this morning as people line up waiting for the Sainsbury supermarket in Newcastle to openCredit: North News and Pictures

Customers queue to pay for their shopping in an ASDA supermarket in West Bridgford, Nottingham, at 7amCredit: PA:Press Association

Hundreds of people were seen queuing to get into supermarkets in Newcastle, Nottingham and New Malden, South West London, before they opened this morning.

One poignant image showed an elderly woman staring at empty shelves in her local Tesco store in Kent after it was announced 20,000 troops are ready to join the fight against coronavirus.

The death toll has now reached 108 in the UK with confirmed cases up to 2,226.

And Brits are now rushing to stores to buy food items, toilet roll and soap – the day after a heartbreaking picture of an elderly man staring at empty shelves shamed panic buyers.

Sheela, who filmed the clip in Romford, said: “They are limiting the number of people in the store because everyone can't get through the tills.

PANIC-BUYING

“There is now a queue to enter the store. I can see they have quite a lot of food and frozen meats.”

Earlier this week, major supermarkets announced they have limited customers to purchasing just three of each item as coronavirus panic buying continues.

The stores have introduced the drastic measures to prevent shoppers panicking buying after Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned households to self-isolate where possible to slow the spread of the deadly bug.

Asda and Tesco said the limits will apply both in store and online, although both stress they're replenishing stock daily.

But Tesco adds that paracetamol and toilet roll will continue to have a limit of two per customer.

There is now a queue to enter the store. I can see they have quite a lot of food and frozen meats.
Sheela, who filmed the clip

Asda had already limited hand sanitisers and cleaning products two per person, online and in stores, as well as baby formula, and we've asked if this will continue to be the case.

Sainsbury's has also limited shoppers to buying a maximum of three of any grocery item and two of the most popular products, such as toilet paper, soap and UHT milk.

Earlier shoppers were filmed brawling over toilet paper and booze in a Home Bargains store in Nottingham.

Desperate staff could be seen screaming at the yobs as they crushed other shoppers to get their hands on new stock.

One young woman frantically clung on to packets of toilet paper as stampeding thugs wrestled the product from under her.

STRICT SHOPPING RULES

Other stunned workers were heard calling for calm after the brawl erupted at the budget store yesterday.

Social media users compared the panic buyers to "animals" after the footage was shared online.

Yesterday Boris Johnson announced schools will close from Friday with A-Level and GCSE exams cancelled.

London's transport lockdown will start from today with 40 Tube stations closed until further notice and the rest of the capital's transport network to be scaled back dramatically.