As the cost of living crisis continues to see food prices soaring, Tesco has been spotted putting security tags on its own-brand of cheese.
A customer visiting a Tesco Express store in Taunton, Somerset, said it was a "sign of the times" after they noticed a member of staff placing security stickers on a number of cheeses, including the supermarket giant's own brands.
The shopper claims to have seen a security guard "slapping" the tags onto a variety of cheeses in the chiller.
The "security protected" stickers activate an alarm if someone attempts to walk out of the store without paying for the item they're attached to.
The customer who spotted the tags told SomersetLive : "This really is a sign of the times.
"Having recently seen security tags on milk in Cornwall and now on own-brand cheese in Somerset, it makes you wonder how desperate people are becoming if supermarket chains are having to take such measures."
Pictures taken by the customer showed that the Double Gloucester Cheddar and Extra Mature Cheddar had been tagged, with both costing £3.15.
They added: "The security guard was in the store with a roll of the sticky security tags slapping them on the cheese in the chiller. It's tragic to think some people may be resorting to stealing such basic dairy items."
While security tags are commonly placed on more expensive items and alcohol, it's not the first time recently that Tesco has been spotted placing the tags on cheaper items.
Last week shoppers at a Tesco in Cornwall said that plastic security tags had been attached to four-pint bottles of milk.
CornwallLive reports that a customer was told by a member of staff that the tags had been placed on milk after a number of thefts, but the supermarket has since denied this, instead claiming that it was down to "human error".
The Mirror has reached out to Tesco for comment regarding security tags on its cheeses.
