Considerate shoppers are cruelly punished and the elderly squashed into supermarket crowds
sir – The shelves of my local Co-op have virtually been stripped bare. Yesterday morning my daughter, pregnant and with a two-year-old son to look after, was told, with no notice whatsoever, that Tesco was cancelling her online order booked for that day. Customer services are unavailable.
She is desperate, as must be the many decent people who took the Prime Minister at his word and bought, at the time, only what they needed. The good are now being cruelly punished, and yet the Government does nothing.
It is now time for a formal system of national rationing, as in war time. A decisive leader would have brought this in a long time earlier.
Uppingham, Rutland
sir – An elderly friend, a coeliac, who lives in a remote cottage in the South West, is self-isolating. She has tried to order food online but cannot get any delivery slots. I am fortunate in that I have two booked slots before the end of the month. We cannot be alone in feeling that the country is not coming to the assistance of those thousands of us who need food and food deliveries but are not able-bodied or savvy shoppers who order online from several supermarkets.
The Government and supermarkets must help – and quickly.
Honiton, Devon
sir – My supermarket quandary: do I buy extra so as to visit a crowded place less?
Bolton, Lancashire
sir – On Thursday our local Sainsbury’s allowed over-70s to shop exclusively for the first hour of business. This was a good idea in theory and intention – to allow us older folk to get some supplies.
However, there must have been more than 150 over-70s in the store at this time. It was heaving with senior citizens. This was against a background of Government advice to avoid large crowds and keep at least six feet away from other people, which was impossible.
This could turn out to be a virusspreading disaster.
Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire
sir – Tesco announced that it is “prioritising the elderly and most vulnerable” for an hour, three days a week. But these are the people who are advised to self-isolate from this weekend, and so will be unable to shop for themselves.
If people are kindly shopping on behalf of the elderly, how do they prove this to supermarkets?
Holt, Norfolk
sir – My sister in north London could not find lavatory rolls, washing powder or washing-up liquid. In a large supermarket in south London. I found one packet of detergent at the back of a shelf. I then looked in my local Costcutter and bought everything I needed. It was restricting all customers to one of each item. Pity the large supermarkets have not introduced a similar policy.
I am ashamed of the selfish behaviour of the British public.
London SW15
sir – Alexander Stafford, MP for Rother Valley, has drawn the attention of Parliament to people bulk-buying, then selling items at a high profit (report, March 19). During the war such black markets were made illegal.
Swanage, Dorset
sir – My barber has a notice in his window: “One haircut per person.”
Bexhill-on-sea, East Sussex
sir – Given the grocery shortages, can I now shoot pigeons for food?
Great Moulton, Norfolk