Waitrose in Wellington reopened on Tuesday after a major equipment malfunction forced it to close.

The store closed its doors to customers early in the afternoon, after a fault affected its refrigeration systems.

Chilled drinks were covered immediately after Waitrose reopened on Tuesday
Chilled drinks were covered immediately after Waitrose reopened on Tuesday (Tindle)

It is understood that all the freezers and fridges in Wellington Waitrose ceased to function because of a mechanical breakdown.

At around 2.30pm on Tuesday the supermarket reopened for business.

However, some chilled and frozen were seen partially empty, with the cold drinks unit covered up.

Some aisles remained partially empty immediately after Waitrose reopened for business on Tuesday
Some aisles remained partially empty immediately after Waitrose reopened for business on Tuesday (Tindle )

A spokesperson for Waitrose said: “Waitrose Wellington temporarily closed due to a refrigeration breakdown.

"The shop is now open as normal and our Partners are working hard to get our refrigerated shelves fully stocked again as quickly as possible. We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience”