Shocking moment gang of thugs smash doors of south London Sainsbury's․ #DailyMail

A gang of thugs smashed a Sainsbury's shop front in south London in a nighttime raid as supermarkets come under huge pressure amid coronavirus fears.

Six men tried stealing alcohol from the New Kent Road store in Elephant and Castle at around 10.50pm yesterday by 'concealing spirits in their clothes'.

Police said that Sainsbury's staff confronted the men, who became 'hostile and threatening' and fled outside before trashing the store front.

Video shows thugs throwing a blue sign at the glass entry, which shatters. A larger group then runs away, leaving a trail of carnage behind them.

These appalling scenes come as Britain's supermarkets come under unprecedented pressure from customers stockpiling amid fears of self-isolation.

Hundreds of shoppers lined up outside supermarkets before the doors opened today after retailers enforced rationing measures to deal with a surge in panic-buying.

Retailers have stressed that there is plenty of food in the supply chain, but shoppers need to act responsibly to ensure everyone can get what they need - particularly the elderly and most vulnerable who may find regular shopping difficult.

Tesco and Sainsbury's are limiting customers to buying three of any item, while Asda and Morrisons are restricting purchases across 1,250 regularly-bought lines.

The biggest chains were dramatically stepping up rationing measures yesterday amid the stockpiling as millions prepare for weeks of home quarantine. The demand has also led to angry scenes as people battled over household essentials.