I don't know.. people are idiots. This is happening worldwide, not just in the UK. Some people are unfortunately selfish b*****ds, and would rather they had 350 bog rolls just in case, even if it meant the old woman next door having none.
I struggle to blame the government for panic buying - and its inevitable there will be shortages of some foods over the next while. I don't see how supermarkets can ever promise to keep shelves stocked when there's so much uncertainty just now.