'Supermarket cyber-attacks were food terrorism'

Greengrocer Bill Davies says the UK government should act to stop future cyber-attacks on supermarkets

Cyber-attacks on UK supermarkets have been "food terrorism", according to a Jersey Market vendor.

Shelves have been left empty across a number of Channel Island supermarkets after attacks on the UK systems at Co-Op and Marks & Spencer. The CI Coop said the data of islanders was not impacted by the breach.

Bill Davies, from Just William greengrocers, said "it's not fair" local supermarkets were suffering.

The Co-op in the UK said it is expecting stock levels should start to return to normal levels by the weekend - while CI Coop CEO Mark Cox said they were working with local producers to keep shelves stocked.

Shopper Paul Bond says he has noticed empty shelves for around a "week or so"

Mr Davies, said local supermarkets were "really struggling" with the after-effects of the cyber-attack.

He said: "We are being affected as a community by actions outside the islands and we really need to get the British government to sort that out, so we don't have this basically terrorism. It's food terrorism and people are struggling because of it."

Paul Bond, who was shopping at the Coop in Guernsey's Market Square, said he has not been able to get everything he needs because of the shortages.

"There is a lack of chilled items, like meats and stuff like that. The alternatives were mostly more expensive than what I would've thought. I've got somethings and for the other things I'll wait a few days."

Jimmy Franks, who was shopping at the Grande Marche in St Helier, also said he could not get many things on his list.

"They're all the same [empty]. You're having to go to two or three shops before you can get everything," he said.