Brexit crisps crunch

FELL hikers defy plunging temperatures as they climb peaks in the Lake District.

Taken from Honister Slate Mine, this snap shows them brave the chill as snow lies on the distant peaks.

At least last night’s bonfires kept some warm – forecasters said it would hit freezing with more of the white stuff in Scotland. CRISPS giant Walkers is pushing up the price of a packet, blaming soaring import costs after the Brexit vote.

Despite being made with British spuds, the company says the weak pound will mean price hikes of up to 13 per cent.

A standard 32g pack is set to rise from 50p to 55p while 50g grab bags will go from 75p to 85p. Unmarked packets could be pricier still.

The increase, announced by US owner PepsiCo, was slammed as greedy and opportunistic by retail experts, who fear packets could also shrink in size.

Naeem Khaliq, of United Wholesale Scotland, which supplies 1,000 shops, called it a “dire” situation. He said: “Walkers is a British product made with British potatoes. I think they’re using Brexit as an excuse.”

But Leicester-based Walkers, which gobbled up sales of £504million last year, says it imports seasonings, oil and materials for packaging.

A spokesman added: “Since we don’t set the retail price of products, it will be for individual retailers to determine the impact on the price.”