STOCK levels of summer essentials including tents, picnic baskets and garden toys are taking a hit due to supply chain issues and pent-up demand, according to experts.

Around 60 percent of UK-based suppliers have seen import delays in the past month with more than four out of five worried they will run out of stock and struggle with sourcing extra.

The director of Worcestershire based camping supply store OLPRO says they have been struggling to move stock since the start of the year.

Daniel Walton said: "We design all of our products, which includes tents and campervan awnings - right here in Worcestershire but then it's produced in our factory in China.

"We've struggled since the start of the year to move stock from the Far East to the UK due to limits on people at docks, at either side of the world, and because of huge shortages on Containers and space on container ships.

"This was made even worse by the Suez Canal incident. It's so bad that we're only just now receiving stock that should have been with us in March and to make matters worse we're paying $14,000 a container as opposed to $2,000.

"What has been incredible is that the government - despite us along with others making noises about this haven't stepped in.

"It's not just camping equipment that's affected but anything needing to be shipped. Whilst it's only making the news now we've been battling to get containers and to move them all year alongside battling to sell product into Europe with all new red tape.

"We're not making business easy for ourselves as a country."

Sam Tyagi, of customs clearance platform KlearNow, said he believes a perfect storm is coming, as families are told to avoid foreign holidays with the removal of Portugal from the UK Government’s green list and no further countries added.

The chief said smaller retailers are struggling the most and may miss out on the opportunity to win back much-needed business lost during the pandemic.