Shoppers told Peterborough Matters they had to “carry their shopping in their hands or buy a £4 bag" as the store was out of its regular carrier bags that cost 50p each.

One shopper said: “I asked them when they are going to get the bags back as I regularly shop in the store, I was told they aren't aware and they ran out of supplies on Friday.

“I know they want us to bring our own bags to help cut plastic but if you have just come off the train like me and need to pick up groceries before heading home, it’s not ideal.”

Meanwhile, a Waitrose spokeswoman confirmed the Peterborough store is experiencing supply issues and bags should be back in circulation in the next few days.

In a statement Waitrose said: “We're very sorry that our carrier bags have been unavailable in our Peterborough shop due to a temporary supply issue. We have resolved this and expect to have them back in store within 48 hours.”

Earlier in September this year, the retailer said it was aiming to eliminate 40m single-use plastic bags per year by removing them from deliveries and in-store collections.

Adding that, bags for life, which cost 10p, will also be pulled from all major stores, to be replaced with a 50p reusable bag that is said to be twice as durable. It is made from recycled materials and is fully recyclable.

The company said its research found that 10p bags were increasingly being used only once and not multiple times as intended.

The change came into effect from September 27.