PANIC buying and huge numbers of people turning up at a Thurrock retail warehouse caused significant traffic problems today.

The Costco at Lakeside was swapped with customers, with large queues of people waiting to get into the store and waiting times of upwards of 90 minutes for people to get through the checkout tills.

Outside the store local roads became jammed.

A visitor to the store said: "It is absolutely crazy. It's like the world has gone mad.

"People were queuing all round the store. Everyone had kitchen roll, bottled water and some were told at the till to leave some behind due to being limited stock."

And elsewhere across the borough sanitary items including toilet and kitchen rolls have become in short supply, while there are rows of empty shelves where foodstuffs like pasta would be.

ASDA's store at Tilbury was typical, with empty shelves at key points.

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