A critical care nurse has shared an emotional plea with panic buyers to stop stripping shelves and hoarding after she was unable to find any food following a 48-hour shift.
Dawn Bilbrough, from York, shared the clip on her Facebook page where it has since gone viral, with thousands condemning those who are stockpiling amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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A tearful Dawn filmed herself sat in her car after visiting a supermarket and having to leave without any food.
She said: "I've just come out the supermarket and there's no fruit and veg. I had a little cry in there.
"I just wanted to get something in for the next 48 hours. There's no fruit there's no vegetables, I just don't know how I'm supposed to stay healthy.
"There's people stripping the shelves of basic foods, you just need to stop it, it's people like me who are going to be looking after you when you're at your lowest, please."
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Speaking to the York Press after the clip went viral, Dawn said: "I think I was just shocked, I wasn't expecting it. I was totally overwhelmed by the whole situation.
"Then the fear just started to kick in. It's a natural response to be fearful right now.
"I just felt like I was being dragged into the mass anxiety that's happening at the moment."
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She went on to say that NHS workers are 'keeping each other's spirits up' as they work tirelessly throughout the crisis, adding that 'morale at work is excellent'.
Dawn's heartbreaking plea comes as many UK supermarkets have been forced to bring in special measures to cope with the 'unprecedented demand' they are facing.
Some chains, including Sainsbury's and Asda, have introduced an hour of shopping exclusively for the elderly and vulnerable, who might otherwise miss out on essential items.
Meanwhile, M&S has announced that it is setting aside the first hour of trading on certain days to elderly and vulnerable customers and NHS and emergency workers.
Announcing the news, M&S said: "For older and vulnerable customers, this will start tomorrow Friday 20 March and going forward after that, on Mondays and Thursdays.
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"For NHS and emergency workers this will be Tuesdays and Fridays."
Let's all bring some positivity, support and fun to anyone who might find themselves in isolation as a result of the coronavirus spread. Need some entertainment? Join Isolation Nation: https://www.facebook.com/groups/coronasupport/
Topics: UK News, Coronavirus
