TESCO has introduced purchasing limits on some products, an email to customers has revealed.

The rationed items include five staples - eggs, rice, soap, handwash and toilet roll.

The move is to make sure everyone has access to the products.

The supermarket giant emailed customers yesterday (December 22).

Tesco UK CEO Jason Terry also encouraged customers to shop alone to ensure social distancing in stores.

What Tesco said to customers

The email added: "As we have good stock levels, please shop as you normally would so that everyone is able to get what they need.

"We continue to have good availability on the small number of fresh products, such as lettuce, cauliflower and citrus fruit, that we import from France at this time of year.

"More than 300 of our larger stores are now open 24 hours a day until Christmas Eve, with many other stores extending their hours to be open from 5am. For more information on opening hours, check our store locator."

NHS, emergency services and care workers continue to have priority access to Tesco stores, and if there's a queue, they are urged to come to the front with a valid ID.

The email alert came as shops across the country try to deal with queues of lorries at the UK border because of travel restrictions imposed on Britain by countries in Europe, over fears of the new 'mutant' Covid-19 strain circulating here.