Haribo sweet shortage warning from manufacturers

Could Haribo sweets fall victim to a shortage of lorry drivers?

The company which makes some of the UK's favourite sweets - including treats like Goldbears and Tangfastics - has warned there could be shortages soon.

Haribo say they are "experiencing challenges" delivering the sweets to shops in the UK because of a shortage of lorry drivers.

The haulage industry has previously said the pandemic and Brexit were to blame for unfilled lorry driver jobs.

Many of these lorries are bringing food items, or other important supplies, from factories to shops.

Where have all the lorry drivers gone?

Lorry drivers are really important to the economy. They help deliver lorry-loads of important supplies like food from farms or manufacturers to shops where people can buy them.

That is why it's a problem that there are around 60,000 fewer lorry drivers than are needed, according to the Road Haulage Association - an organisation that works with haulage companies. (Haulage is the word to describe the business of transporting items from place to place.)

Kate Shoesmith, an expert in employment, told the BBC in June that lots of lorry drivers working in the UK had been from other countries. When coronavirus hit, many of them returned home, where they have either found work, or "feel it's not right to return to the UK" because of either "Brexit or the [coronavirus] pandemic".

The government has said it is trying to help lots of people pass driving tests to drive lorries and get jobs as lorry drivers.

Prince Harry visited a Haribo factory in 2017

What are Haribo doing to try to stop the shortage?

Don't worry, Haribo say they are "working flat out to manage the situation," according to the Grocer newspaper.

A statement from Haribo said they are "working with partners across the food and drink industry to address and respond to this problem."