Shop freezers in six European countries hit by suspected cyber-attack

Dozens of supermarkets in Belgium and Sweden have been hit by a suspected cyber-attack affecting its refrigerators and freezers.

Around 40 Delhaize supermarkets and 15 Carrefour stores were affected in Belgium, while several ICA and Coop shops in Sweden were hit. Thirteen SuperValu shops have also been impacted in Ireland.

Thousands of euros worth of food has had to be thrown away, according to local media reports, with one ICA store in Sweden saying temperatures for its freezers had been set to 50 C (122F).

It is not clear who is behind the attack, which follows a similar incident last month that affected hundreds of French supermarkets.

Delhaize, one of Belgium's biggest supermarket chains, told Belgian media a "computer incident" had occurred overnight at 40 shops.

Carrefour, a French-owned supermarket, said it was "currently analysing" the incident at 15 of its Belgian stores.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for ICA in Sweden confirmed the incident had affected a "small number of ICA stores operating outside ICA's central network".

"ICA is currently supporting the affected stores in managing the situation," they said.

One of the IVA branches located in Sjöbo, southern Sweden, wrote on social media: "Our refrigerators and freezers have been hacked overnight and they have set the temperature to 50 degrees."

The store was closed earlier but has now reopened to customers.

Seven out of the 800 Coop stores in Sweden are also affected but the "situation is currently contained and under control", the company told the BBC.