SHOPPERS have been panic buying in response to Home Office advice urging people to stock up on water and non-perishable goods in case of a terrorist attack.

Supermarkets in Harlow and Bishop's Stortford have reported greater than normal sales of water and various tinned foods.

Les Reed, duty manager at the Sainsbury store in South Street, Bishop's Stortford, said: "We order in about 100 to 150 cases of water a week and sold more than that in the first two days after war was declared.

"It's predominantly been the larger sized bottles that have been going first but people are generally buying whatever we have in stock. We've also seen an uplift in sales of tinned food, but it's the bottled water that has really taken the brunt."

Iris Hamilton, deputy manager at the Somerfield supermarket in Old Harlow, said: "We're only a small store but the big bottles of water sold really quickly. We've now upped the orders so we can restock the shelves in case it happens again."

At Sawbridgeworth's Budgen's store sales of water have also soared.

Assistant manager Alison Molineaux said: "We sold out of water really quickly and have been ordering three to four cases a day. We've got so much water out the back that we can restock the shelves as soon as it's taken off by shoppers. Tins of meat and veg have also been selling quickly which is unusual because it's not a huge store."

The Northgate End branch of Waitrose in Bishop's Stortford has noticed a moderate increase in the sale of tinned meat and fish, and bottled water.

Spokeswoman Gill Smith said: "We saw a modest increase in sales of certain items such as bottled water and tinned meat and fish. That demand has now started to tail off but we have ordered more stock in case sales pick up again."

April 8, 2003 14:30