ESSENTIAL items such as toilet roll and pasta appear to be well-stocked despite a looming second lockdown and fears of panic-buying.

Supermarket shelves across Basingstoke remained relatively full on Monday morning, eight months after they were emptied in the run-up to the first Covid lockdown.

And shoppers say that whilst there is the occasional item they can't get their hands on, the situation is much better than in March.

The Gazette went to four supermarkets across Basingstoke this morning to see the situation for ourselves, following reports at the weekend that stores were rammed and shelves emptied in a repeat of the stockpiling that characterised the run up to the first lockdown.

Basingstoke Gazette:

But in Brighton Hill's Asda, St Michael Retail Park's Aldi, Chineham's Tesco and Morrisons on Churchill Way West, stores remained flowing with plenty of products on the shelves.

Toilet roll isles - bulked out and with limits on the number you can buy to stop stock depleting - was holding out better, but with gaps appearing at some stores including Tesco and Morrisons.

Pasta appeared popular in Asda, but again with enough for residents to get their hands on.

Basingstoke Gazette:

Meanwhile, bread and flour, two very popular stockpiling items from March, appeared to be almost untouched in the stores the Gazette went to.

It comes after reports of manic scenes in supermarkets at the weekend.

Lidl on Worting Road was forced to implement a one in, one out policy on Saturday afternoon, hours before Boris Johnson addressed the nation to say that a second lockdown would be in force from Thursday, whilst Morrisons was "manic", according to one customer.

It also comes after the leader of the borough council told residents to only "shop for what you need" that afternoon.

One Asda customer, Graham Foster, said that he had seen little sign of excessive stockpiling or shortages on shelves beyond the norm.

Basingstoke Gazette:

"Today at least it doesn't seem to be as bad as last time," he told The Gazette.

"I am just getting bits and bobs for Christmas. We just get what we need when we need it.

"They are not that well stocked when you look around. A few items are low stocked. But that is typical of Asda."

Basingstoke Gazette:

Meanwhile, Jodi Heath, who was doing her usual shop in Aldi, said: "It seems to be okay in here, I was very worried.

"There are a few bits missing, but it does seem a bit calmer this time around.

"I hope people don't panic buy because I am not in a position to stock up."

Linda Usher, from Brighton Hill, "got everything I needed" from Asda this morning.

Basingstoke Gazette:

"It is getting a little bit empty, but not too bad," she added.

"I can seem to get everything that I want to."

Supermarket bosses say that supply chains are stronger now than they were during the first lockdown, whilst the Prime Minister said on Saturday that supermarkets would remain open when lockdown comes into force, hence "there is no need to stockpile".