Supermarket Sweep! Closed Netto store which reopened to give away all its remaining stock for FREE is completely emptied by bargain hunters in just FOUR MINUTES 

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Shelves at a discount supermarket were emptied within just four minutes today after the store announced it would be giving away all of its stock for free.

Bargain-hunters flocked in their droves to the Netto discount store in Lincoln after a Facebook post advertised that it would be allowing customers to take home goods for free.

A huge queue formed outside the superstore by 10am today as the shop opened up especially to allow customers the chance to get their hands on a freebie.

It had planned to open for an hour-and-a-half to allow customers a clean sweep, but the shelves were cleared by thrifty shoppers within just four minutes.

Bargain-hunters flocked in their droves to the Netto discount store in Lincoln today after a Facebook post advertised that it would be allowing customers to take home goods for free

A huge queue formed outside the superstore by 10am as the shop opened up especially to allow customers the chance to get their hands on a freebie. Many were seen with trolleys

Darren Bonnington, 42, likened the unsual experience to popular Nineties TV game show Supermarket Sweep.

He said: 'There wasn't much left by the time I got in, but I did manage to get some frozen chips.

'It was like supermarket sweep, everybody had trolleys and I expected Dale Winton to turn up at the end.'

Meanwhile, a BBC Radio Lincolnshire reporter exclaimed: 'Look at the line!'

The Netto store had closed down last month following an announcement by Sainsbury's that it was struggling to keep up with fellow discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl.

However, it was opened up as a special occasion today to allow the last of the stock to be cleared.

The fact groceries, frozen food and homeware goods were up for grabs for free was not formally announced by the shop, but was revealed on Facebook by a charitable organisation.

The Netto store in Lincoln closed down last month following an announcement by Sainsbury's that it was struggling to keep up with fellow discount supermarkets such as Aldi and Lidl

Homeless shelter The Nomad Trust posted on Facebook news of the goods being offered free

A worker for homeless shelter, The Nomad Trust, said: 'I've had a call from Netto who have closed down. They have quite a lot of frozen foods that need to go and although they would prefer it to go to charity they also realise the value in not just throwing it away so have asked me to share this with everyone.

'They will be open 10.30am to 12pm tomorrow for anyone to go down and take what's left.'

Although an orderly queue formed outside the store ahead of its 10.30am opening today, the shelves were cleared after just four minutes.

Most customers were families in need and stock was offered to them after local charities.

Victoria Bradshaw, Project Manager for The Nomad Trust, said: 'We're very, very lucky with the help that we get from the local supermarkets.

'We will probably be able to fill a 500 litre freezer full of food and the rest is going free to local shoppers.

'What then doesn't get taken will get thrown in the bin but hopefully they won't need to do that.

Many shoppers compared scenes at Netto in Lincoln today to those seen on popular Nineties TV show Supermarket Sweep, which saw contestants grab as much from the shelves as possible in a small timeframe. The show was hosted by Dale Winton and ran from 1993 to 2001

'We are really grateful that Netto has called us and offered the food to us and we are grateful for any other help that we get from the city.'

News quickly spread of the free giveaway on social media, but some users were critical of the fact the goods were offered to shoppers.

Some argued that the leftover produce should have been given solely to homeless shelters and charities.

However, staff members hit back at critics and claimed they offered the excess stock to as many people in need as possible within a short time frame so none was wasted or thrown away.

Ian Smith said: 'I think you'll find we called all the homeless shelters & foodbanks in the area.

People associated to the Netto store defended its decision to open its doors to shoppers

'Unfortunately not everyone has banks and banks of freezers to store it all in. A few charities came down before we opened the doors and took what they could get in their freezers. We did what we could in the very short space of time that we have had.'

And Josephine Bundy added: 'I rang around and the lady at the Nomad Trust helped us get people with low incomes to collect some of the food. Honestly people are so negative! No waste and I would like to think we helped families feed themselves.'

The Lincoln supermarket is one of 16 Netto stores across the country to have closed in recent months.

Sainsbury's and partner Dansk Supermarket Group had opened the stores in a bid to rival other discount supermarkets but the venture proved unsuccessful.