Business
Waitrose Internet shopping crippled by petrol crisis
No home deliveries could mean even more panic buying at the supermarket
The UK's fuel crisis has forced upmarket supermarket Waitrose to suspend its Internet shopping service.
The food retailer will not accept any new orders at its Gifts Direct or Organic Foods Direct services. Other supplies, such as wine and groceries, will be decided on a branch by branch basis.
Unlike its retail stores, whose deliveries rely on a central reserve of fuel, Web order carriers are dependent on local petrol supplies.
Other Internet food retailers are also being hit by the ongoing fuel shortages. Tesco has formed a crisis group in an attempt to keep its online delivery service running.