A man has been cautioned after he was abusive towards supermarket staff as tensions continue during the coronavirus pandemic.
The 54-year-old was asked to leave Tesco at Kingston Park, in Newcastle, by the store's security on Monday morning after hurling abuse at employees.
But the police were called when he refused and he was arrested before he was given a caution.
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “At 10.07am on Monday, we received a report of a man being abusive towards staff at Tesco, Kingston Park.
“It was reported that the customer had refused to leave the store when instructed to by the store’s security staff. Nobody was injured.
“Officers attended and a 54-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct. He has since been given a caution.”
The incident came as supermarkets across the North East and the rest of the country came under increasing pressure during the Covid-19 outbreak.
On Sunday morning, hundreds of shoppers - including NHS workers - store formed a queue around the supermarket's car park.
The widespread concerns of people stockpiling led to Environment Secretary George Eustice's plea for the public to shop responsibly.
He said: “We recognise that this is a challenging time and there are many things the Government is asking the nation to do differently as we work together to fight this pandemic.
“Be responsible when you shop and think of others. Buying more than you need means others may be left without.”
