SHOPS and post offices across Comet country have seen a surge in people panic buying stamps, as a 30 per cent price increase looms.

From April 30, a first-class stamp will cost 60p, up from 46p, and a second-class stamp will cost 50p, up from 36p.

Shops in Comet country have said that people have been panic buying, with some places even selling out.

Stevenage Waitrose said that it had ran out of stamps, and that people were “panic buying”.

And Stevenage Wilkinsons has not sold out yet, although it has “a very limited amount left”. A manager at the store told the Comet that people were stocking up.

Norma Fears, owner of Whitwell Post Office, has had to order extra stock.

“We have not run out, but people are certainly buying more,” she told the Comet.

“We have had one customer who has bought his Christmas stamps. Normally, when there’s an increase each year we have the business customers stock up, but this year we’ve had non-business customers buying as well. We have just ordered extra.”

Another post office also said that it had seen people buying stamps for Christmas.

An employee at Jackmans Post Office in Letchworth GC said: “We have been busy, but have not sold out. People have been telling us they’re buying them for Christmas. We’ve had a few people buy a couple of hundred, and a lady yesterday bought 400.”

It’s been a similar situation at Highbury Post Office in Hitchin. Manager Gurmit Cheema said lots of people had been stocking up, and that he had seen 10,000 stamps fly off the shelves. But he added that he had plenty of them left.

However, not all shops in the area believe the price increase has made a difference to customers.

Baldock Post Office reported that it had not seen a change.

“Our customers are used to it,” said a spokesman.

“Normally they order stamps and we pre-order for them.”