A store in Aylesbury has started to keep the baby product in locked cases (Picture: UKNIP

Supermarkets are now putting baby formula behind lock and key as the cost-of-living crisis worsens.

A mum was shocked when she found that the food for her youngster at the Co-op store in Aylesbury was being kept in plastic cases.

It is believed that the extra security measures are to stop shoplifters taking the now expensive product.

The price of essential food for toddlers has rocketed in the last 12 months, with some brands costing as much as £15 for a small jar.

In the store in Jansel Square, one mum couldn’t believe it when she saw the bottles locked up.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘Formula is now so expensive that it’s in lockable containers to stop theft.

‘If people are stealing to feed their babies we need to take a long hard look at our country. There is no need for infant formula to be so costly.’

Photos show Cow and Gate infant milk that cost £10.75-£11 in plastic cases.

There are also other Aptamil products that cost £15, that are also locked away.

It isn’t the first product to be locked away, and in one Co-op store earlier this year even empty coffee jars were put out to stop thieves.

The cost of living crisis has meant the weekly grocery shop has gone through the roof.

It looks set to remain that way given that inflation remains stuck at 8.7%, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The agency said that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) – which tracks how fast the price of a typical basket of goods has gone up – was the same as April.

Co-op has been contacted for comment.

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A mum was shocked when she found that the food for her youngster at the Co-op store in Aylesbury was being kept in plastic cases.