Roll up Roll up! Amusement arcade replaces toys with ‘bog standard’ toilet tissues in its 30p-a-go grabber machine as coronavirus panic grips UK
- Chapmans Fundland made toilet roll the star prize in 30p-a-go grabber machine
- Amusement arcade owner Eddy Chapman in Bridlington, East Yorks called the panic buying craze ‘loo-dicrous’
- Government urged calm as some supermarkets were warning of shortages
An amusement arcade hopes to slow down panic buying of essentials amid the coronavirus outbreak by making a toilet roll the star prize on their 30p-a-go grabber machine.
Manager Eddy Chapman came up with the genius plan to halt shoppers in their tracks at the Chapmans Fundland amusement arcade in Bridlington, East Yorks.
The Maxx Grab machine has had its plush toys replaced with lavatory paper and punters are queueing up to spend 30 pennies.
Eddy, 34, said his idea was a way to spread some cheer in these worrying times and he hopes his customers will see the funny side.
And like many across Britain, the leisure boss has been baffled by terrified shoppers clearing supermarket shelves in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
‘I think all this panic buying of toilet roll has been loo-dicrous, and so came up with this idea to hopefully get people to calm down,’ he said.
Chapmans Fundland amusement arcade in Bridlington has made ‘bog standard’ toilet roll the star prize on their 30p-a-go grabber machine
‘It’s 30p a go and we’ve replaced the plush toys in the machine with the loo paper, it’s not quilted or anything, just bog standard.
‘It’s just a bit of fun which is what coming to seaside towns like Bridlington is all about, I think people need to relax a little and stop panic buying.’
The government last week urged calm as it emerged some supermarkets were warning of shortages of drugs, hand sanitiser and bizarrely toilet roll.
People have left supermarket shelves empty in the face of Coronavirus, with Tesco and ASDA among the supermarkets that are struggling to meet demands of soap, pasta and toilet roll (Tesco store pictured on March 3)
The government last week urged calm as it emerged some supermarkets were warning of shortages of drugs, hand sanitiser and bizarrely toilet roll
The number of coronavirus – or Covid-19 cases – rose to 206 on Saturday with over 20,000 people tested. A man in his 80s and a woman in her 70s, both with underlying health conditions, have so far died from the disease.
Supermarkets including Tesco have begun rationing the amount of pasta, baked beans and hand sanitiser per customer to stop shelves being stripped amid coronavirus fears.
In a move to ensure the supermarket has enough supply, they have decided to limit the amount of dry pasta, UHT milk and baked bean tins that each customer can purchase.
Another 42 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Britain, bringing the total number of infections up to 206. Pictured: A graph shows the number of tests (blue), number of positive results (red) and the drastic increase in the amount of coronavirus tests on worried Britons (green)
As well as the frequently purchased disaster goods, the store has decided to limit antibacterial gels, wipes, sprays and children’s cold medicine, Calpol.
Tesco confirmed that shoppers would be limited to five items on Saturday, adding that they would apply to online orders from tomorrow.
The decision comes after shoppers were seen stripping supermarket aisles bare across the country, with footage emerging of frantic stockpilers pushing trolleys piled high with toilet rolls and forming huge queues.
Tesco’s baked bean section is completely plundered at this unspecified store on Thursday
Fruit and vegetables at this Tesco store in Milton, Cambridge, were raided yesterday by panicked buyers after the number of coronavirus cases in UK rose