Eager shoppers descend on stores on first day of 'freedom'

Eager shoppers have today descended on stores across the country as England opens up for the first time since the third lockdown.

From Monday 12 April pubs, bars and most other hospitality venues can reopen for outdoor table service or for takeaway services.

Likewise, non-essential retail, leisure facilities, hairdressers and personal beauty businesses can also reopen.

In the early morning, crowds began to congregate outside stores with some descending into chaos, while others formed orderly queues.

Swarms of people were seen outside JD Sports on Oxford Street as they waited for the store to open its doors.

LBC journalist Rachael Venables tweeted: "Forget the pub gardens or hairdressers - JD Sports on Oxford Street is the place to be this morning.

"And this was the mad scramble to get into JD Sports, when the shutters went up at 7.30 this morning."

Down the street, a more regimented queue formed outside a Nike Town shop on Oxford Street, while shippers in Birmingham waited for a Primark store to let in customers.

As crowds return to high footfall areas across London – the Met has said they are ready for the challenges this may bring.

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors, the Met’s lead for Covid-19 response, said: “The Met is ready to welcome back people to the streets of London. We will be stepping up our patrols to busy high footfall areas, to look out for everyone’s safety and to disrupt any criminal activity.

“Of course, where we need to take action against those who dangerously flout the rules we will do. While the case rate has declined in London, we have seen the concerning position in northern Europe. It is important that we all stick to the rules so further lockdowns, or restrictions, are avoided.”

Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said it was a "big day" for reopening businesses, and that many were "excited and desperate" to welcome customers back.

"It's a big day for the country and it's a big day for all of these businesses reopening their doors today," she told Sky News.

"They are very excited and desperate to welcome their customers back (with) the focus on safety."

Ms Dickinson said that retailers were now used to preparing to reopen their doors, having experienced the process during previous lockdowns, but added that customers also had a "part to play".

"Because they've been through this process before... they would have been ready the last week or the week before, and are just keen and enthusiastic to welcome us back," she said.

"Members of the public have a part to play in following the signage, the guidance that we get given queueing if we need to... and all of the safety features that are in place.

"We have a role too."

But Dr Mike Tildesley, reader in infectious disease modelling at the University of Warwick and member of the Government's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (SPI-M), warned that any form of reopening "could lead to higher risk".

Asked what the effect of reopening may have on infection rates, he told Times Radio: "It's hard to tell categorically but I think we do need to remember that with any form of reopening there's going to be more mixing, and so we might expect that that could lead to higher risk.

"We might expect it could have a resurgence, it's really, really important therefore that people follow the rules that are in place, with this relaxation.

"It is great news that people can get out and go to non-essential shops, and go to pubs and restaurants and so forth, but, as I say, follow the guidelines that is still in place."