True, it wasn't a great maritime disaster. The Suez Canal Authority claims "one death, the sinking of one of our rescue boats and 48 ships having to find alternative routes."

But it will be more damaging to business. Shortages of garden furniture, building supplies, cardboard and other packaging are causing a headache for retailers and consumers as summer looms. A combination of problems - including disruption to the Suez canal - has increased competition for shipping container space and delayed delivery times.

Logistics UK, which represents freight businesses, says that a lot of the goods currently bound for the UK are likely to be for retailers who are stocking their shelves ready for the summer. There is a risk that some goods, such as perishable foods, could arrive too late to be sold.

Seaport Freight Services, a shipping and freight-forwarding company based at the Port of Felixstowe, has 20 containers of goods stranded on the Ever Given. "We're waiting on food goods like coconut milk and syrups, some spare parts for motors, we've got some fork lift trucks, some Amazon goods on there, all sorts."