Farmers warned in November they would be in short supply by spring as retailers were not paying enough to grow them.

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Morrisons last week imposed a two pack per customer limit, Waitrose stores ran out of stock as did some online retailers.

The shortage has also been put down partly to cold weather in Spain.

A retail source said: “Spain is key for supplying British retailers in winter and almost every UK retailer will source peppers from there.

“They need warmth and light to develop – green into yellow then into red.”

UK production is also down.

The Lea Valley, across Hertfordshire, Essex, and into North London, usually grows three quarters of Britain’s cucumbers and peppers.

But this year only 40 of the 80 member farms planted the veg as they expected to make a loss.