SUPERMARKET shelves are bare up and down the country due to a cocktail of Brexit, Covid and lorry driver shortages.

Here in Worcester we have seen Nando's close to diners due to a lack of chicken, Mcdonald's run out of bottled drinks and Gregg's also temporarily shut their doors.

Most recently concerned shoppers have snapped pictures of empty shelves in Waitrose on London Road.

The pictures show a shortage of produce, medicine and bottled water.

As with other supermarkets in the city Waitrose have said the shortages are down to 'countrywide supply issues.'

A spokesman said: "We’ve been working through the same challenges that all supermarkets are facing right now. As always, our focus is on maintaining the best possible range of products and high levels of service for our customers.”

And it seems that empty shelves could become the new normal as Ian Wright, outgoing chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, has warned the ongoing supply issues could become commonplace after the pandemic.

He added that the industry is currently short of about half a million workers.

Mr Wright said: "It’s going to get worse - and it’s not going to get better after getting worse any time soon.”

“The result of the labour shortages is that the just in time system that has sustained supermarkets, convenience stores and restaurants… is no longer working, and I don’t think it will work again.

"I think we will see we’re now in for permanent shortages.”

Supermarkets have been forced to fill shelves with signs apologising for the lack of stock.

At a Sainsburys in Blackpole, empty shelves were filled with boxes asking customers to “bear with us.”

Meanwhile at the Tesco on Windermere drive, Warndon, stickers informing customers of when products were to return were put in place of the missing items.