Fears of Christmas shortages and empty shelves are leading locals to take advantage of a special offer on turkey.

Famed Frome butchers Penleigh are still going to take orders for Christmas, but if will happily sell you a turkey joint now to put in the freezer.

The joints being sold from their shop on Stony Street in Frome are on special offer, with a big discount.

Meantime the farming industry has warned that it too is suffering from staff shortages - the government on Sunday announced a plan to issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers and 5,500 poultry workers to alleviate shortages but has given no indication it will introduce schemes for other areas.

An officer at the National Pig Association (NPA) told Reuters that the shortage of butchers meant processors were operating at 25% reduced capacity.

The CEO of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) told CNN business that many farmers simply haven't reared turkeys in the lead up to Christmas because labour supply was so uncertain.

But the government insists that warnings of Christmas shortages are unnecessary scaremongering, and that there is plenty of capacity.