Nurse’s tearful plea after ending 48-hour shift to find supermarket shelves stripped empty amid coronavirus panic-buying

A CRITICAL care nurse broke down in tears as she pleaded for people to stockpiling after she was unable to buy basic foods at the end of her 48-hour shift.

Dawn Bilbrough, 51, made the emotional appeal in a minute-long video in which she begs: “Please just stop it.”

⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates

Sitting in her car she admits to having a cry in the supermarket after failing to get hold of any food.

She said: “I’ve just come out the supermaket and there’s no fruit and veg. I had a little cry in there.

“I just wanted to get something in for the next 48 hours. There’s no fruit there’s no vegetables, I just don’t know how I’m supposed to stay healthy.

“There’s people stripping the shelves of basic foods, you just need to stop it, it’s people like me who are going to be looking after you when you’re at your lowest, please.

Dawn, of York, told The Sun: “We are not a Third World country — we don’t need to behave like this.

“I’ve since been offered food packages from all over but I’d just ask people to send them to a food bank.”

It comes after a shocking picture emerged yesterday of a paramedic staring at empty shelves after lockdown fears saw people panic buy supplies.

The picture, taken around 7pm on Tuesday, shows a medic stood looking forlorn at the end of a shift as empty shelves surround them.

There have been calls for hero NHS staff battling at the frontline of the crisis to get their own time in stores to pick up much-needed supplies.

Many shops announced they were introducing an hour only for elderly people to brave the manic shops, with calls for NHS staff to be included in that too.

Speaking as the number of cases in the UK hit 3,269 and the death toll rose to 144, Ms Bilbrough urged people not to strip the shelves – and instead work together and think of vulnerable people.

She said: “I think I was just shocked, I wasn’t expecting it. I was totally overwhelmed by the whole situation.

“Then the fear just started to kick in. It’s a natural response to be fearful right now.

“I just felt like I was being dragged into the mass anxiety that’s happening at the moment.”

She said NHS staff are working together to face the challenge and added: “Morale at work is excellent, we are keeping each other’s spirits up.

“I think we all need to look out for each other at the moment and really work as a team. We can get through this.”

Her tearful message asking people to stop stockpiling has now been shared more than 1,500 times and she said: “People have been very generous, there has been an overwhelming response. It’s been heart-warming.

“I’m quite a strong, independent woman but there are lots of people who may not be able to get what they need from the supermarket right now and we need to think of them.”

Earlier this week a heartbreaking photo of an elderly man staring at empty shelves in Sainsbury’s captured the reality of people panic-buying during the coronavirus pandemic.