A major supermarket chain has announced that all items will be rationed in an attempt to prevent panic-buying in its stores.

The East of England Co-op has limited all items in its stores to a maximum of two per customer as shoppers raid the shelves amid worries over the coronavirus, despite being urged not to do so.

It comes as Tesco announced that all their 24-hour stores across the country would close overnight in order to re-stock empty aisles.

In a statement, the East of England Co-op said: “Due to exceedingly high demand, as of 6pm this evening, all items across our stores are limited to a maximum of two per customer until further notice.

“This applies to all items.

“By shopping responsibly and distributing items equally, this will ensure we can continue to provide a service to our communities over the coming weeks and months.”