Morrisons has told Sky News it is restricting customers to two packs of peppers each, while Waitrose has run out of stock of many varieties online.

The shortage is being blamed on unseasonably cold weather in Spain, which means peppers are growing at a slower rate.

At the time of writing, Waitrose.com only had its 'Essential' green peppers available, with red, orange and yellow ones all sold out online.

UK farmers have been warning of stock shortages for the last few months because they say they aren't being paid enough to grow their produce.

Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, told Sky News: "Difficult weather conditions in the South of Europe disrupted harvest for some fruit and vegetables including peppers.

"A few stores have implemented temporary limits on how much customers can buy to ensure availability for everyone. However, availability should improve for those impacted in the coming weeks as we enter UK growing season."

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Morrisons told Sky News it expects to lift the restriction in the next week or so as supply improves.

In February, supermarkets were forced to limit the amount of tomatoes and other popular vegetables customers could buy due to shortages.

Bad weather in Europe and Africa meant harvests were disrupted and suppliers were also hit by ferry cancellations, which affected lorry transport.

The UK relies on warmer countries such as Spain and Morocco for supplies of vegetables that are out of season here.

National Farmers' Union deputy president Tom Bradshaw warned earlier this year a reliance on imports has left the UK vulnerable to "shock weather events".

Soaring energy bills exacerbated by the war in Ukraine have also put off some UK vegetable growers, he added.