Pictures show more queuing outside Blackpool's B&Q and Asda

These pictures taken of queues outside of B&Q and Asda in Blackpool show more people are doing shopping as the Covid-19 lockdown continues.
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Taken on Monday, they show the Asda in Marton and B&Q at Whitehills Retail Park with long queues of people waiting to get in store, with some in pairs despite some retailers, such as Aldi, not allowing this to happen.

B&Q said despite the queues appearing long, it is ‘strictly’ limiting the number of customers in store at any one time but it did admit members from the same household can go in at the same time.

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A spokesman for the company said: “The Blackpool store has a designated queuing area outside with markers every two metres to help remind everyone to respect each other’s personal space.

The queue at Asda in Marton on MondayThe queue at Asda in Marton on Monday
The queue at Asda in Marton on Monday

“To further support social distancing, there is also two metre floor markers throughout as well as other point of sale, and perspex screens have been installed at the checkouts.

“Only products that you can shop and takeaway in store on the day are available to customers. This is currently a reduced offer with services such as kitchen and bathroom design, paint mixing, timber cutting and key cutting are not available for the time being and only card and contact-less payments are accepted.

“Due to the bulky nature of some of the items we sell, we are allowing two people into stores so that they can self-serve.”

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Graham Bell, B&Q’s CEO added: “Whether shopping in our stores or online, we ask that all our customers follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines and shop responsibly only for what is necessary.”

There was also lots of shoppers at B&Q on MondayThere was also lots of shoppers at B&Q on Monday
There was also lots of shoppers at B&Q on Monday

A spokesman for Asda also said the supermarket had implemented a ‘whole host’ of policies for its stores during the lockdown but added it would prefer only one customer per household to do shopping in store.

The spokesman said: “To help maintain our social distancing measures, we are limiting the number of customers in our stores at any one time. If possible, we ask our customers to please stick to one adult per trolley.”

The increase in people doing shopping comes as Lancashire Police announced they have launched an online tool for people to report neighbours and shops flouting the coronavirus lockdown.

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A police spokesman said: “You’ve been asking us for a quick and easy way to report COVID-19 related crime and incidents. Today we launch an online tool to do just that.”

B&Q said it's allowing two people from the same household due to the bulky products it sellsB&Q said it's allowing two people from the same household due to the bulky products it sells
B&Q said it's allowing two people from the same household due to the bulky products it sells

There is an online form to report incidents relating to breaches of rules that state people should stay at home and only retailers selling essential goods should open.

The spokesman added that in an emergency, the public should still ring 999.

The reopening of B&Q stores in Blackpool and across the country was backed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock who explained that hardware stores were never actually told to close in the first place, admitting they had always been allowed to trade as long as they stuck to the same strict social distancing measures as supermarkets.

Appearing on Sky News earlier this week he said that “it’s absolutely fine for those businesses to stay open because they were never required to close by the social-distancing rules.”