A LARGE queue of shoppers formed outside a supermarket as they waited for the store to open.

A police car patrolled the car park of the Tesco Extra store in the Holmbush Centre, Shoreham, as a line of people stretched from the door.

People were waiting for the store to open at 9am and hold an hour of shopping exclusively for the elderly and vulnerable.

>>>READ MORE: Latest Sussex coronavirus news

The Argus:

These special shopping hours are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Tesco stores across the country.

Sainsbury's has also introduced the new measures on the same days, between 8am and 9am.

Earlier this month, large queues were seen at supermarkets across Sussex as shoppers emptied shelves of items such as toilet paper and pasta in a spate of panic-buying.

The picture below shows customers waiting for an hour of shopping for the elderly and vulnerable at the Sainsbury's store in Newhaven last month.

The Argus:

Supermarkets have since limited the number of items each customer can buy at any one time to prevent stocks being decimated.

  • The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal.  Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving. org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund