A Hartlepool care home manager says it has been hit by supermarket panic buying restrictions

Wendy Dick, manager at Seaton Hall, in Seaton Carew, where 24 elderly residents live, was unable to order their £400 weekly supplies from Tesco this week, she said.

Their shopping list includes 50 toilet rolls, cleaning products and food essentials such as rice.

A number of supermarkets have put restrictions on certain items such as pasta, long-life milk and hand sanitiser, after a surge in people panic buying over coronavirus.

But Mrs Dick says no provisions have been made for care homes.

She said: “We are under the same restrictions as normal households. I just think it’s terrible.

“Care homes are going to suffer. We are being asked to protect our elderly and vulnerable people yet they are not making provisions.”

Mrs Dick said she was told there are no special measures for care homes at local Tesco, Asda, Aldi and Lidl supermarkets.

Tesco says it is working hard to make sure everyone has access to essentials including elderly or vulnerable people.

It is closely following government guidance.

Aldi has limited customers to buying four items of any one product per visit.

CEO Giles Hurley said in an open statement to customers: “We all have a responsibility to ensure we only buy what we and our families need.

“If we shop as we normally do, our stores will quickly return to normal.”

Lidl said: “Our teams, particularly those in our stores and warehouses, are working very hard to ensure that all customers continue to have access to all of the products that they need.

“We have limited the sale of products including household essentials, cleaning products, pasta, rice and tinned goods to four items per customer.

“Our Supply Chain teams are working very closely with our suppliers to increase supply on any products that have experienced high sales volumes, in order to maintain availability.”

Asda has also been approached for comment.

Related: See interactive map of UK COVID-19 cases