UK retailers warn again over some food shortages amid French freight disruption

Tesco and Sainsbury's said earlier this week that gaps could start to appear on fruit and vegetable shelves within days

Freight from France is being disrupted as part of a wider suspension of travel links with Britain to try to curb a new faster-spreading strain of Covid-19.

Britain said there was plenty of food in the shops but industry groups repeated warnings of shortages of some fresh produce from next week unless freight routes to mainland Europe are swiftly restored.

UK home secretary Priti Patel said Britons should not be concerned despite Tesco and Sainsbury’s, Britain’s two biggest supermarket groups, raising the alarm earlier in the week, that gaps could start to appear on fruit and vegetable shelves within days.