TESCO is extending its same-day online grocery delivery service across the UK as it looks to better compete with rivals.

The supermarket giant said yesterday that the service, currently only available in London and the south east of England, will now be rolled out across the country.

It is expected to cover “over 99 per cent of UK households”.

Tesco claimed that this gave it the “biggest reach of any retailer in the UK, stretching from the Shetland Islands in Scotland to Cornwall in south-west England”.

Customers can order by 1pm to have their shopping delivered from 7pm onwards and receive an unlimited number of items, with the new service priced between £3 and £8.

Adrian Letts, managing director of Tesco Online, said: “Customers tell us they like getting their shopping delivered quickly and conveniently, and with our same-day delivery service they can now order by lunch to get their shopping delivered for their evening meal.