Pictures taken on the weekend, around the time a second national lockdown was rumoured and later announced (October 31), show queues of people lining the town centre to visit Primark, as well as empty shelves in supermarkets.

RELATED: Queues and empty shelves as Reading "prepares" for second lockdown

In a poll presented to Chronicle readers earlier this week, asking "Have you seen people panic buying?", almost half (49 per cent) voted "Yes, lots of it since Saturday."

Of the 256 responses, 125 people answered in this way.

Another 19 per cent (49 people) voted "Only a bit", while 32 per cent (82 people) answered "no, none at all".

Nationally, shoppers across the country have said they are in "absolute disbelief" after seeing some supermarket shelves emptying once more ahead of the second lockdown.

A number of social media users shared pictures as apparent panic buying began to take hold once more ahead of the new restrictions on Thursday, despite the stores insisting there was plenty of stock to go round.

Commenting on The Chronicle's recent story about weekend panic buying, one reader, Clive, said: "Senseless mania.

"Hopefully the shops are geared-up to prevent excesses."

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Local Kristen Jackson Roe commented: "People are really pathetic - it's a month lockdown and even then it's not as bad as March's lockdown but yet people are so stupid and think it's the end of the world", while Lynne Hill said: "I went to Lower Earley Asda, no pasta, no loo roll.

"I didn't want either, just as well!"