COVID-19: Hoarders and pranksters cause produce shortages in supermarkets

A despicable act has been committed by a couple of men who put their saliva on produce and shop shelves. While police have arrested the two men for their antics, hoarders are still getting away with wasting precious produce at a time of crisis.

Lancashire Police was alerted by Sainsbury's store in Morecambe of a COVID-19 threat caused by two shoppers. Closed-circuit television footage captured two men licking their hands and rubbing them on things. The men contaminated fresh produce and meat packages. They also contaminated the fridge handles.

Following their actions, the supermarket had to throw away produce worth hundreds of pounds. The shop was also disinfected to ensure the safety of staff and customers. Police was informed of the incident after it took place on Saturday at around 1.45 pm. Police released the CCTV footage to help find the culprits.

Yesterday, the police arrested two suspects believed to be the men from the video, The Daily Mail reported.

Meanwhile, It is not just thoughtless thugs who are responsible for increasing the pressure on supermarket supplies. A single mother told The Sun how she felt no remorse in throwing away unused produce while she continued to buy more food.

47-year-old Emmie Shute smiled for the camera as she showed how much food she was throwing away on a regular basis. The mother-of-two admitted that she panicked and bulk-bought produce from supermarkets spending as much as £250 in one shop alone.

The factory worker from Bournemouth, Dorset only had to buy enough produce for her family of three. Going overboard, she bought mammoth amounts of fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat. Days after her over-the-top shopping spree, Shute has continued to buy more products as older ones have ended up rotting in her home. Bin bags full of mouldy and expired food were tossed out by Shute.

Instead of sharing the excess produce, the woman opted to let them rot. Defending her actions, she claimed that she did it to "protect and provide" for her 15-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter.