A shopper has allegedly pulled a knife on another customer during an argument over toilet paper at a Woolworths supermarket in Sydney's west - as 'panic-buying' shoppers clear shelves across the country.

A New South Wales Police spokeswoman said officers were called to a 'disturbance' at the Westfield Parramatta store about 1.30pm on Wednesday.

Staff members said a man and a woman had a fight over toilet tissue. One was carrying a knife, a Woolworths worker said.

At least six police officers were at the scene and a woman was seen being spoken to by investigators. No one was injured, police said.

A Woolworths employee told Daily Mail Australia the woman involved in the incident had communication difficulties and police were trying to get to the bottom of what caused the scuffle.

Supermarkets are now enforcing strict restrictions on toilet paper purchases as shoppers, driven by fears of a global coronavirus pandemic, cleared supermarket shelves across Australia.

Police officers speak to shoppers after an incident involving a knife at Westfield Parramatta, in Sydney's west, about 1.30pm on Wednesday

A woman pushing a trolley speaks to officers in the wake of the incident at Woolworths Parramatta this afternoon

This is the almost-empty toilet paper aisle at Woolworths Parramatta where the alleged knife incident occurred

A witness to the incident said: 'There was a fight over toilet paper - you could hear a commotion coming from down the end aisle.

'There was a knife pulled and the people started running around.

'It was all over in a few moments, security were here and police came and talked to a woman.'

Earlier on Wednesday, Woolworths announced that customers are banned from purchasing more than four packs per person.

Worried shoppers have raided stores of toilet paper, hand sanitiser, pasta, rice and bottled water, with supermarkets desperately stocking up on essentials.

Footage showed shoppers madly grabbing toilet paper at a separate Woolworths supermarket in Revesby, in the city's south-west.

In what was dubbed a 'stampede', anxious shoppers were seen piling packets of toilet paper into their trolleys, some carrying two packs of 12 at a time.

NSW POLICE STATEMENT ON PARRAMATTA INCIDENT A NSW Police spokeswoman said: 'About 1.30pm today, police were called to a supermarket on Campbell St, Parramatta following reports of a disturbance in an aisle. 'Officers from Parramatta City Police Area Command attended and spoke to a person at the scene. 'It was established there was a dispute. 'No people were injured and no arrests were made.' Advertisement

At warehouse store Costco - where customers typically buy in bulk - customers were seen paying for trolley-loads of toilet paper.

A store in Lidcombe was completely emptied of toilet paper when Daily Mail Australia visited early on Wednesday afternoon.

One Aldi store has even enforced a radical one-pack per person toilet paper limit as pictures of bare supermarket shelves flood social media.

Meanwhile, sustainable toilet paper company Who Gives A Crap has run out of stock for 'all its products' due to what it described as 'panic buying madness'.

The company claimed purchases were up 800 per cent.

'Scalpers' have even started selling packs for marked up prices on Facebook Marketplace.

WHY AUSTRALIA'S GONE POTTY FOR TOILET PAPER By Josh Hanrahan A handful of the thousands of Australians who have stormed supermarkets to stock up on toilet paper have revealed why they felt the need to stockpile loo roll. Daily Mail Australia visited several Sydney supermarkets on Wednesday where manic shoppers were clearing out aisles, including an entire Costco warehouse in the city's west. As the coronavirus scare widens - with 43 confirmed diagnoses in Australia - a father and son were among dozens of shoppers to empty a supermarket shelf at Lidcombe Shopping Centre within 10 minutes of it being restocked. Oscar Andres, 46, said he and his son Ivan, 18, from Bondi had made an urgent trip to the shops to stock up on 'rare commodities' - including six packets of toilet paper. Oscar Andres, 46, said he and his son Ivan, 18, from Bondi had made an urgent trip to the shops to stock up on 'rare commodities' - including six packets of toilet paper Within 10 minutes of it being stocked, this shelf at Woolworths in Lidcombe Shopping Centre was completely empty But admitted they did not desperately need toilet paper and had largely been caught up in the hype that is sweeping the nation, despite authorities urging people to stop. 'It's a little bit scary, especially seeing the way everyone is behaving,' Mr Andres said. 'We are from Bondi but we heard on the radio about how everyone was selling out so we had to come and get some urgently. 'My son said people are buying up on rice too so I told him to get some of that too. We don't want to miss out!' While some had just run out at home or were doing their weekly shop, others admitted the hype surrounding coronavirus had them worried. Four shoppers make the most of the new arrival of toilet paper at Woolworths in Lidcombe on Wednesday A family carts four super-sized packs of toilet paper out of the supermarket 'It's because of the coronavirus, it's very scary,' Angelo Vargas told Daily Mail Australia. 'Everyone is buying toilet paper and I think everyone is a bit caught up in in and you don't want to miss out. 'I think if you get stuck in your house for a few weeks it's the only safe way to clean yourself.' Jeanette Timsans, Mary Delaveris and Rebecca Kastrantas left Woolworths with none empty trolleys and said people should only be able to buy one packet each. 'It's ridiculous, people are coming in and taking four rolls each - there's groups of people leaving with dozens,' Ms Delaveris said. 'Woolies should be limiting it to one per person.' Advertisement

A despairing shopper posted to Instagram with a photo of the Woolworths aisle, earlier that day

An Aldi in Epping, Sydney has placed a one toilet packet per person rule on shoppers

At Costco warehouses, shoppers loaded up their trolleys with extra-large packs of toilet tissue

Health officials have confirmed only 43 people have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Australia as of Wednesday afternoon.

One man has died and a 95-year-old woman may have also died after coming into contact with an infected nursing home carer.

The country's chief medical officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, told Parliament panic buying toilet paper wasn't a 'proportionate or sensible thing to do at this time'.

'We are trying to reassure people that removing all of the lavatory paper from the shelves of supermarkets probably isn't a proportionate or sensible thing to do at this time,' Prof Murphy told a Senate hearing on Wednesday.

'We are a well-prepared health system but even the best-prepared health systems can face a challenge if you have large outbreaks.'

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said there was no reason for panicked stockpiling, saying he was 'in the middle of all of this' and 'I'm certainly not out buying up.'

But several shoppers today told Daily Mail Australia they were stocking up on toilet paper out of fear they may 'miss out' amid the frenzy.

'It's a little bit scary, especially seeing the way everyone is behaving,' said Oscar Andres, who drove 25km from Bondi to Lidcombe to stock up.

'We are from Bondi but we heard on the radio about how everyone was selling out so we had to come and get some urgently.

'My son said people are buying up on rice too so I told him to get some of that too.

'We don't want to miss out!'

Supermarket workers reported re-stocking shelves with toilet paper only for it to sell out within 10 minutes.