Period products are essential items, the Welsh Government have said, following claims from Tesco.

A customer at a Tesco store in Wales was told that period products had not been classed as an "essential item", and she was therefore unable to buy them.

Complaining on Twitter, the woman said: "@Tesco can you explain why I was told today that I can't buy PERIOD PADS as I'm sure they are essential to women ?!!! But I can buy alcohol it doesn't make sense."

Responding to the user, Tesco claimed that the Welsh Government had listed the item as non-essential.

A spokesman on Twitter said: "We understand how frustrating these changes will be for our Welsh customers.

However, we have been told by the Welsh Government not to sell these items for the duration of the firebreak lockdown."

South Wales Argus:

The Welsh Government looked to clarify the position, saying this was not true.

A spokesman said: "This is wrong - period products are essential.

"Supermarkets can still sell items that can be sold in pharmacies.

"Only selling essential items during firebreak is to discourage spending more time than necessary in shops. It should not stop you accessing items that you need."

The original tweet from Tesco was deleted.

A spokesman for the supermarket said: "Good morning Katie - thanks for getting in touch and please accept my apologies for the confusion caused by my colleagues' earlier reply.

"This is a response we're using when challenged on products that we have been asked to restrict by the Welsh Government.

"However, clearly sanitary products are an essential purchase and I'm so sorry to see that one of our stores has them restricted at the moment.

"Can you please DM us to let me know when you were in store and which store this was, so I can look in to this further."