The President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has threatened to sack government officials if they fail to act to end the country's acute food shortage.

Speaking on television, Mr Lukashenko said officials who were unable to prevent the hoarding of staple goods would be fired.

Earlier in the week, the government imposed rationing of milk, meat and other goods, and Mr Lukashenko urged officials to replenish food stores without raising prices.

Belarus still has a rigid Soviet style economy and has suffered from the economic crisis in Russia, its main trading partner.