Supermarket giant Tesco has withdrawn shopping baskets from one of Scotland's most God-fearing islands after they were repeatedly stolen for hanging garden plants.

The solitary Tesco store on Stornoway has had to issue an amnesty to locals to return the wire shopping baskets after it reported 15 were stolen in a week.

The superstore, which opened around ten years ago, is the only Tesco branch in the Outer Hebrides and the only one in the UK to shut on Sundays.

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The Isle of Lewis is known to have one of the lowest crime rates in the UK, and also known for its staunch Presbyterian community.

Earlier this month, a protest was held by church groups against the trial opening of local cinema and arts centre, An Lanntair, during the Sabbath.

A statement issued with a petition against the opening, said that the move represented an erosion of the island’s heritage and “unique culture as regards a peaceful Sunday”.

However in the past there have been problems with a number of shopping trolleys being taken in Stornoway with many ditched in the nearby harbour.

Now the local Tesco supermarket in has said it was no longer making baskets available due to the number of thefts which had taken place.

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Issuing a “Customer Basket Update” on its Facebook page, it said: “We are very sorry to say that we are unable to provide our customers with shopping baskets due to them being taken from the store.

“We are losing approx 15 baskets a week due to theft.

“We have more baskets on order but they take six weeks to arrive.”

The store added: “If anyone has a basket, can you please return them to the store. No questions asked on return”.

“Again apologies for the inconvenience this has caused for our customers.”

A spokesman for the branch said that they were unsure how the baskets were being used.

“We do not know what they are using them for. We have no idea,” he said.

“We have not run out, but the numbers of baskets have got so low that there was not always one for every customer.

Local Comhairle nan Eilean Siar councillor, Angus McCormack, suggested that some of the baskets had allegedly been used to hold and “cover plants”

He said: “I just can’t get my head around that. It’s just absurd. I can’t think of any possible use of these baskets than carrying things.

“It seems a bit bizarre to me.”

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He added: “I am not in the least bit concerned about it. There’s many other things I’m concerned about in my ward, but this is certainly not one of them.”

The store said that it was expecting a box of 50,with another box of 50 to be issued next month, though no decision had been made about how to re-introduce them.

In what Tesco confirmed as a “one-off” a spokesman for the company said that more had been ordered for the branch, however asked those in the town to return any they may have taken.

He said: “The overwhelming majority of customers diligently return their baskets after shopping.

“To make sure we can offer everyone a basket, we’ve ordered extra, but as we wait for them to arrive, we’ve asked the community to help by returning any they may have.”