Ice cream lovers are in a state of panic amid news that the UK is suffering from a shortage of chocolate flakes.
It appears the unsettled weather of the last few days has not put Brits off enjoying one of their favourite soft whip treats - a vanilla ice cream cone topped off with a mini flake, often called a 99.
In fact, due to an increase in demand for the crumbly chocolate topping, which is about half the size of a standard Cadbury flake, summer might see them sell out completely.
According to the Irish Times, 99s are at risk of disappearing from shops, vans and ice cream parlours entirely, with some in the ice cream industry saying they have never "heard of a shortage like this".
The owner of Cadbury’s has confirmed the widespread shortage, which affects the UK and Ireland, and said it was working on resolving the issue.
According to the Sun, a Mondelez International spokesperson said: “We are seeing a recent increase in demand for our Cadbury 99 Flake.
“The product is still available to order and we're continuing to work closely with our customers."
People have taken to social media to share their concerns at the news with one ice cream fan asking on Twitter "have we not suffered enough?".
Another said: "Okay, I can handle a shortage of many things. Cadbury flake isn't one of them. How am I meant to have a 99 without them?!"
Other social media users suggested Brits take the opportunity to reinvent the humble 99.
"Simple, stick a Mars Bar in it instead," one suggested, while another commented: "Let's start putting Kinder Buenos in 99s instead.
"We can call it a 1000 because Buenos are 901 better than Flakes," they added.
