From today, Asda said it would be putting a limit of three items per customer across food, toiletries and cleaning products, “to ensure customers have access to their essentials”.

The retailer said it had “plenty of products to go around” but it has a “responsibility to do the right thing for our communities to help our customers look after their loved ones in a time of need”.

The supermarket said it would also begin temporarily closing its cafes and pizza counters to “free up room for colleagues” in its warehouses and stacking shelves, from this week.