Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has warned fresh food shortages are likely to emerge within days after France banned the passage of UK freight. 

Concerns about a rapidly-spreading variant of Covid-19 prompted France to close its borders to the UK. 

The store could run out of products such as lettuce, salad leaves and cauliflower if the ban continues, Sky News reports. 

However, there are no concerns over Christmas produts as the needed items are already fully stocked.

Hauliers have not been banned from entering the UK but it is feared they will not want to enter the county if they cannot return to France.

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Sainsbury's told Sky News:  "All products for the Great British Christmas lunch are already in the country and we have plenty of these.

"We are also sourcing everything we can from the UK and looking into alternative transport for product sourced from Europe.

"If nothing changes, we will start to see gaps over the coming days on lettuce, some salad leaves, cauliflowers, broccoli and citrus fruit - all of which are imported from the Continent at this time of year.

"We hope the UK and French governments can come to a mutually agreeable solution that prioritises the immediate passage of produce and any other food at the ports."

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that people for the most part won't notice the impact of the ban. 

Speaking about possible shortages, he said:  “The supply chain is pretty robust in as much as you get variations in supply all the time. For the most part, people won’t notice it.”