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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alexander Britton & Ryan Fahey

Asda supermarkets sell out of frozen turkeys as Brits stockpile for Christmas

Frozen turkeys have sold out at a number of supermarkets as Brits get ready for Christmas.

Images have emerged from Asda stores across the country showing freezer aisles completely stripped of the festive meat.

At one Asda branch in Birmingham, a solitary turkey crown could be seen in a freezer drawer completely stripped bare of products.

Elsewhere in the store, a sign read: "Sorry, temporarily out of stock."

At a different branch in Kettering, Northamptonshire, Brits had stripped the turkeys from the frozen food section - and also cleared out all stuffing balls.

It comes as Chancellor Rishi Sunak promises there will be a "good amount of Christmas presents available" this year, despite images of empty shelves pouring in from across the UK.

Other items were dotted around the shelves as Brits panic-buy products (SWNS)

Earlier today, customers mocked a Cardiff branch of Tesco Extra after pictures emerged of a massive sunflower oil display in the frozen food aisle.

Another Co-Op branch was rumbled for cramming sauce bottles into refrigerators.

Earlier this month, budget supermarket Aldi reported soaring sales of their frozen turkeys and Christmas puddings.

Food experts have warned shoppers to buy their Christmas grub soon and store it in the freezer so they don't miss out.

Families scrambling to find a bird and spuds has led to Aldi's turkey crown sales soaring up to 1,500 per day.

Sales of Christmas puddings are also up by 45 per cent.

The shortages come as shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk diverts vessels from their Felixstowe hub (SWNS)

Some families may be hoarding up to £2,000 worth of festive chow, according to reports.

Sales of turkeys have also shot up at Iceland - who reported a 409 per cent increase since the same time last year.

The prospect of a thin Christmas has been blamed on supply chain issues, caused by the diversion of vessels from a loading port facility in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

The rogue items and empty shelves appear as shipping giant diverting vessels from their facility in Felixstowe, Suffolk.

Danish shipping giant AP Moller-Maersk warns the problem may continue into the new year.

A 'perfect storm' is said to have been created by a lack of lorry drivers, a spike in imports, and Covid restrictions.

Lars Mikael Jensen, head of the east-west network at Maersk, said containers are stacking up at the Suffolk port because there aren't enough lorry drivers to 'get boxes out'.

The port is the off-loading point for most imported toys, raising fears of kids waking up to empty stocking on Christmas day, The Times reports.

And today Tory Chancellor Rishi Sunak confessed the government "can't fix every single problem" when discussing the issue.

Freezer aisles were also cleared out at this Kettering branch, where Brits had bought all of the stuffing ball stock too (PA)

Mr Sunak said the Government would "do absolutely everything we can" to solve the British port issues.

Global factors are being blamed for logistical issues, with nationwide delays at ports.

At Felixstowe, ships have also been caught in sea traffic.

Speaking to the BBC in Washington DC, Mr Sunak sought to reassure Britons as people begin to think about shopping for Christmas.

Customers at an Asda in Gloucester took this photograph of a bizarre display of Lynx Africa - which spread across the toiletry aisle (twitter.com/reelofthe51st)

He said: "We're doing absolutely everything we can to mitigate some of these challenges.

"They are global in nature so we can't fix every single problem but I feel confident there will be good provision of goods for everybody.

"I'm confident there will be a good amount of Christmas presents available for everyone to buy."

Mr Sunak chaired a meeting of finance ministers on Wednesday as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank convene in the US capital.

Other supermarkets have left their shelves completely bare (REUTERS)

The Treasury said Mr Sunak told the meeting of the "importance of global co-operation to ensure that supply chains are more resilient as the world emerges from the pandemic".

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Sunak said: "Supply chain issues are being felt globally - and finance leaders from around the globe must collaborate to address our shared challenges.

"Today we have collectively agreed to work closely over the coming months - and together we will build a strong and resilient recovery."

The Mirror has contacted Asda for comment.

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