PEOPLE have described "chaotic" scenes as shoppers scramble to grab essential items amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Stores have reported long queues stretching out the door as residents stock up on supplies.

Toilet roll, cleaning products, baked beans and pasta are just some of the items to see their stocks diminish, with many shops across Sussex being left with empty shelves as a result of the heightened demand for certain items.

The Argus:

One shopper described "queues worse than Christmas" causing "chaos" at the Tesco superstore in North Street, Hailsham, while another said there were "massive queues" at the Tesco superstore in  Church Road, Hove, yesterday morning.

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A shopper at Aldi in Lewes Road, Brighton, found themselves stuck in lengthy queues and said the situation was "total madness."

Meanwhile a large group of shoppers hovered at the entrance to Savers in George Street, Hove, late last week waiting for the store to open.

The Argus:

Another customer said: "It’s been like this everywhere since last weekend. I queued for 20 plus minutes in Morrisons in Seaford last Saturday."

Many supermarkets have introduced limits for customers to prevent shortages, with Aldi only allowing people to buy four of any item at a time.

The Argus:

One customer at the Asda store in Hollingbury said: "I only popped in for a couple of bits. One good thing is that there are signs up now limiting people to one pack of toilet roll per customer."

Picture credits: Sherrie Baker, @sussexdjcom, @Wyatt2Dawn, @mischab62