A shopkeeper claims toilet rolls are being sold "as if they are on the black market" during the coronavirus pandemic.
Troy Eyaad opened his Prospect 82 mini-market in Hull, on March 16, but never expected his grand unveiling to be amid the backdrop of the national covid-19 crisis.
He claims the only way he has been able to stock toilet rolls in his shop is by getting them from traders “going around in their vans" and selling them at inflated prices.
That, in turn, has driven the cost to his customers up.
But the kind-hearted trader refuses to charge vulnerable customers for paracetamol and gives them away for free.
"When I first opened, the toilet rolls and medicine had all gone so I went to get some more stuff but the prices had tripled,” he said.
"Makro, Booker, you can't get anything whatsoever. When I went to get some stuff they said they were only giving them to people at care homes - stuff like that.
"At some shops down Spring Bank people have been going around in their vans and saying, 'do you want to buy these toilet rolls?'.
"For example, you can see the price has been cut out so I don't know how much they paid for it.
"He's selling it to me for £3.50 and I'm selling it for £3.99."
Mr Eyaad, who owns the Prospect Street store and his House of Ink tattoo studio next door, says the major wholesalers have understandably started prioritising their goods for care homes forcing him to look elsewhere.
His shelves are stocking a number of the items that have been hard to come by in the major supermarkets including toilet roll, surface cleaner and pasta, but he has been forced to explain to people why the prices have been bumped up.
Mr Eyaad said: "People walk in and want pasta and toilet roll and stuff. They say it is too expensive and I say, 'I'll be honest with you, I can show you I paid £2.50 and I'm selling it for £3'.
"A lot of people took an opportunity and bought loads of toilet roll and are going around selling them.
"I'm usually getting toilet rolls for like a quid now they're £2.50 and I'm selling them for £3, making 50p.”
But despite prices being driven up for some of the most in demand products as the coronavirus rumbles on, he has set others aside for the most vulnerable.
Paracetamol has been one of the most sought after items in the last couple of weeks and Mr Eyaad says he is refusing to sell them to make money, and is instead offering a sheet of tablets for free to people with a genuine need.
"You can buy paracetamol for 29p or 30p. When I went around yesterday I paid £2 or £3 for each pack. I'm giving it for free. I'm getting nothing for it,” he said.
"Elderly people, pregnant people or people that really need the paracetamol can come and take it for free, but I'm limiting. I'm trying to give them one sheet each.
"I went and I bought all the paracetamol to give them away for free.
"I don't need to be greedy. I'm just trying to help the people out.”
As of 11am on Friday, March 20, 144 people who had tested positive for the virus in the UK had died.
In total, 3,269 people had been identified positively as carrying the Covid-19 virus.
