SOME indepedent shops and pharmacies in Oxfordshire have been accused of trying to cash in on shortages during the coronavirus crisis by inflating prices.

Angry customers have got in touch to complain about 'absolutely shocking' prices.

One shop accused of the practice was Grovelands Store in Kidlington.

A woman claimed in Facebook post that a loaf of bread and two cartons of milk cost £8, with a commenter describing it as 'disgusting'.

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The Oxford Mail visited this week and found most items were regularly priced but a pack of 32 paracetamol tablets cost £3.99 and Calpol £5.99.

The shop manager, who did not want to be named, said: “The only two things that have increased in price have been the paracetamol and Calpol but this is not down to us at all.

"This is down to the fact that they are almost impossible to get and any suppliers are much dearer which we can not do anything about.”

Oxford Mail:

He added he was ‘disappointed’ to hear people criticising the shop as he was working hard to source requested items like Calpol that were completely sold out.

The shop worker showed the Oxford Mail a storeroom where four-roll packs of £1 toilet rolls were being held.

He explained he was keeping them off the shelves so he could have them available for vulnerable and elderly people.

He added: “We are trying to do a service for the community. The majority of customers are happy with us."

Several shops in Oxford have also been accused of charging desperate customers high prices for hard to find items.

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Examples include £2.25 for bread, £15.99 for baby milk, £9.99 for a pack of paracetamol and £12 for toilet roll.

A mum-of-two from Barton said: “It’s absolutely shocking. People are being told to shop local but that isn't right.”

A letter was sent to all pharmacies, food and drinks shops today from Daniel Gordon, senior director of the Competition and Markets Authority, told business owners to 'nip it in the bud'.

He wrote: "While most businesses are striving to do the right thing under very challenging circumstances, we have received reports that a minority of firms in your sector are seeking to capitalise on the current situation by charging unjustifiably high prices for essential goods."

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Mr Gordon, did acknowledge what the Kidlington shop worker described, adding: "We understand that some price rises may result from constraints further up the supply chain.

"For example, if an individual firm raises its prices as a result of passing on increased prices from wholesalers or suppliers, then this may be unavoidable."

He said where this was happening, businesses should contact covid.monitoring@cma.gov.uk so wholesalers and suppliers could be investigated.