Next shut down its website for the day hours after reopening online.

The retailer said the demand exceeded the capacity by 8.30am this morning and will be closed until tomorrow.

The high street stores shut three weeks ago, a day before the start of the coronavirus lockdown on March 23. 

But the store opened back up online today after social distancing measures were put in pplace at warehouses. 

The company said in a statement: "Initially only categories that our customers most need will be offered, such as Childrenswear and selected small Home items. Other product ranges may be added at a later date.

"The idea is to begin selling in low volumes, so that we only need a small number of colleagues in each warehouse at any one time, helping to ensure rigorous social distancing is complied with.

"To achieve these limited volumes, Next will only allow customers to order the number of items that it believes can be picked safely on any given day."

As a result the website would then turn to 'browse only' and would stop taking orders. 

A spokesman told the BBC that Next had only asked people to return to work if they wished, and have since seen around 3,000 staff volunteer.