Under lock and key, coffee at £10

INSTANT coffee is being kept in security cases at a supermarket after the price soared to £10.50 a jar.

The clear plastic cases – equipped with tracking devices – were seen on shelves at a Co-op in Birmingham yesterday.

Empty jars were put on the shelves for display purposes and shoppers were told to ask staff for a full one. A 00g jar of Douwe Egberts was selling for £9.85 and a 00g jar of Kenco Smooth for £10.50.

Coffee prices have soared, accompanied by a rise in shoplifting. A Co-op spokesman said: ‘Protecting the safety of colleagues is a priority and shoplifting can be a flashpoint for violence.’