The first batch of coronavirus home testing kits ran out within hours today as a surge of key workers left the system mired in confusion.
A limited supply of just 1,000 tests vanished off the government's website after Matt Hancock launched them for 10million key workers and their families.
Minutes later the entire website appeared to shut down - with a message telling applicants: "You can’t currently register for a COVID-19 test. Please check back here later."
The Tory Health Secretary announced last night he would expand Covid-19 testing to all "essential workers" - including supermarket workers, delivery drivers and teachers - plus those who live with them.
But Twitter was flooded with complaints today that the government website either wasn't working at all or showing home testing kits had run out.
A government source said the home testing kits were only added to the website at around 8am today.
The figures in this story have since been updated by Downing Street - please see updated story here.
That meant a wave of people reported they had run out - and posted screenshots of the government saying so on Twitter - when in fact the home kits were still available.
The website said: "Currently, only drive-through tests are available. We've issued today's allocation of home test kits."
Despite the confusion, today's supply of home testing kits was expected to run out by around 10.30am anyway - because of the limited number.
A Whitehall source claimed: "We expected to be running out on Day One. It shows the demand is there."
But by 11am the entire website - for both home testing and drive-through sites - appeared to be shut.
Government officials were not immediately able to explain the message.
And in another apparent problem, one user was told on the government's helpline that there was a "glitch" in verifying key workers' identities.
Stevie Shillinglaw, 34, told the Mirror: "The call handler definitely used the word glitch and was sure to emphasise it would last all day. I was told to try again tomorrow."
Most people are expected to visit a drive-through testing centre if they are showing symptoms of Covid-19.
But these are up to 45 minutes' from homes, there are only 30 or do up and running, and visitors must drive.
For those who can't visit a drive-through site, home testing kits were launched from today to be delivered by Royal Mail and Amazon.
Yet there are only 1,000 available today, scaling up to 18,000 a day by the end of April.
A No10 source insisted the government wanted demand to rise after less than half of the UK's 51,000-a-day testing capacity was used.
"We want all of the testing slots to be filled," the source said.
