Supermarkets may have to "ration" festive food in a bid to save Christmas amid the ongoing lorry driver crisis.

Other measures previously announced by the Government to tackle the shortage of lorry drivers include increasing the number of driver tests, simplifying the testing process, and creating training opportunities for up to 5,000 new drivers.

Retailers have expressed fears that ongoing supply chain problems will result in higher prices and empty shelves into December.

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An industry source told the Sun newspaper: “Retailers will be prioritising the essential Christmas presents.

“If there was a big squeeze of drivers and stores couldn’t get all the things they needed they will be rationing lines. So rather than seeing 15 types of pasta you might see ten.

“Or they might decide they don’t need nearly as much bottled water which is bulky and large in the shop.

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“It’s a tough and evolving situation and hard to say what will happen right now.

“The government action on visas for HGV drivers has clearly been too little too late to resolve the issue and there will be some ­disruption at Christmas.”

A build-up of cargo in Felixstowe has led to shipping giant Maersk opting to divert container vessels away from the Suffolk port, while similar logjams have been seen elsewhere in the world, including in the US.

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