A European ban on the common light bulb has sparked a sudden surge in sales.

Today the EU starts its phase out of conventional incandescent bulbs, meaning manufacturers will no longer be able to make them.

The move is aimed at forcing people to buy environmentally-friendly energy-efficient lightbulbs for their homes.

But the move has prompted the public to start buying the old bulbs in bulk before the ban - leaving shelves clear of the cut-price lighting.

Kathy Daniel, who runs family business The Lighthouse, in Worthing, said one customer came to the store last week and bought hundreds of pounds worth of old style bulbs.

She said: “The lady came in and ordered £500 worth which is quite a lot of bulbs. A lot of people are buying 15 to 20 at a time because at the moment we have got 100W bulbs but we don't know if we'll get them the next time we order.”

A spokesman for Dockerills, in Church Street, Brighton, said they had seen an increase in the number of old lightbulbs sold.

He said: “We are probably selling four or five times more than we normally do.

“I think it's because people don't understand what's going on. The whole thing has been mishandled.”

Stacie Cole, the manager of electrical shop Edwards and Hope, in New Road, Brighton, said that customers have been coming in concerned about the change.

She said: “We have looked at our stocks and have bought more than we would normally in case we have people rushing in to buy them.

“People are very concerned about it. I think you find the older generation are a lot more concerned about it because they are used to what they know.”

While the general public are snapping the remaining old bulbs up, the ban has been welcomed in business circles.

Jan Jackson, from business support organisation Business Link, said: “This is excellent news for the environment. The UK has been at the forefront of efforts to cut down on inefficient electrical products, and has had a successful voluntary initiative with the major light bulb manufacturers in place for a few years.

“I am delighted that the rest of Europe will now be following our lead.”

The design of traditional-style bulbs has remained practically unchanged for more than 100 years when they were first introduced during the time of Queen Victoria.

The energy-saving bulbs, while more expensive than traditional ones, use up to 80% less electricity and last longer.

But critics of them argue they are not as effective as a light source.