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Iceland and Co-Op won’t force customers to wear masks in store
Despite new rules on mask wearing in shops and on public transport coming into force this week, the supermarkets say staff won't force customers to comply
Responding to new rules coming into force around mask wearing, supermarket bosses at Co-Op and Iceland have both said that their staff won't force customers to wear masks when shopping in stores.
In spite of new Covid rules coming into force from Tuesday this week, the supermarkets have said they won't be asking staff to enforce them.
Citing the "long-term recovery of the high street", Iceland's managing director Richard Walker said his staff could not and should not be asked to intervene if they see a customer in the store who is not wearing a mask.
He added: "we need to continue to encourage people to shop in stores if they feel comfortable".
The Co-Op has also said it would not be enforcing the use of face coverings and that customers will not be refused service at checkouts if they are not wearing one, reports The Sun.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Mr Walker said: "We fully support the reintroduction of compulsory face masks in shops, however, we won't be asking our store colleagues to police it.
"Our store teams, alongside all retail workers, have shown heroic efforts in terms of ensuring safety for customers and building back consumer confidence and it's crucial that we stay focused on the long-term recovery of the high street.
"We need to continue to encourage people to shop in stores if they feel comfortable, and I'm hopeful that the latest guidelines won't discourage customers from doing so."
What are the new rules on mask wearing in England?
The comments come in response to announcements made over the weekend that rules on mask-wearing will be made stricter from Tuesday, 30 November 2021.
The public will be required once again to wear masks on public transport and in shops, banks and post offices, with police given renewed powers to issue those seen not to be complying with fines of between £200 and £6,400.
The new rules do not apply in bars and restaurants, however, nor in school classrooms, theatres, or cinemas.
What other measures are being brought in?
The Prime Minister has said that anyone arriving in England will need to take a PCR test for Covid-19. This must be taken on the second day of their arrival.
Travellers to England must then self-isolate until they have provided a negative test result.
Why have the measures on mask wearing been brought in now?
The new restrictions have been brought in in response to a new variant of Covid called Omnicron, which was named a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organisation on Friday.
So far, two cases have been detected in the UK and six in Scotland. The new variant is thought to be more transmissible, with scientists pointing to mutations in its spike protein.
They will be reassessed in three weeks time, on 21 December.
M&S has launched a massive recruitment drive across Yorkshire.
With the festive season fast approaching, and most British stores having already unveiled their Christmas ranges for 2026, one of the country’s largest brands has launched a massive UK-wide seasonal recruitment drives to gear up for what is always one of the busiest times of the year for the retail industry.
M&S has announced it will recruit for plenty of new colleagues across the UK.
As mentioned Christmas is one of the busiest moments of the year for M&S, and seasonal colleagues play a ‘vital’ part in delivering that.
Image: Supplied
New recruits will be tasked with helping M&S deliver a ‘brilliant’ service for customers.
Stores with vacancies span the whole of Leeds - including city centre, Moortown, Crown Point, White Rose Shopping Centre and Pudsey.
M&S says the roles are ‘fast-moving and hands-on’, with colleagues required to work together to make sure customers still get the very best of M&S, even at its busiest.
The roles will pay £13.41 per hour, with successful applicants receiving the training, tools and support needed to get up to speed quickly.
“We can’t wait to welcome over 300 new colleagues to our store teams here in Greater Manchester,” commented Zeba Khan, who is the Regional Manager at M&S.
“As we get ready for our busiest time of year, it’s a great opportunity to join us and help bring a magical M&S Christmas to our customers.
“We have a range of opportunities available, whether joining our city centre flagship or our fresh market-style foodhalls. We’re looking for colleagues who are passionate about delivering great customer service and being part of a team.”
Fancy it then? Applications are now open, and you can find out more and apply on the M&S Christmas careers page here.
Bradford set for major new train station as plans promise faster journeys to Leeds, Manchester and Sheffield
Clementine Hall
The Government have revealed plans for a new train station at Bradford Interchange.
The new station will bring passengers across the North more reliable services, better connections and faster journeys across Leeds, Manchester and York.
The new site at Bradford Interchange will unlock the potential to regenerate Bradford's Southern Gateway, and in hand with the proposed West Yorkshire Mass Transit, will support thousands of new homes, jobs, and up to £1 billion in economic benefits.
The station will also become part of Great British Railways (GBR), the new publicly owned railway that will bring track and train together helping deliver a more reliable, efficient and passenger-focused railway.
Image: Northern
The announcement marks a major milestone in the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR).
The NPR aims to deliver a 'turn-up-and-go' railway for passengers, meaning multiple trains an hour will run frequently enough between major cities across the North that passengers won’t need to check a timetable before going to the station.
The new station is set to be delivered in the 2030s, replacing the current station built in the 2030s.
Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire said: “Today is an exciting and important milestone for Bradford, with an iron clad commitment to a new station in the city centre.
“Bradford has so much untapped potential, and faster, more frequent trains to Leeds and Manchester, and the transformation of the city centre through Bradford City Village, will help to finally unleash it.
“Together with investment for northern powerhouse rail, a mass transit system for West Yorkshire and our brand-new Weaver Network, we are working in lockstep with the government to deliver a better-connected region.”
Henri Murison MBE, Chief Executive of Northern Powerhouse Partnership said: "The decision to build Bradford’s new station at the interchange in the city centre is a long-term commitment to the city and the wider North.”
“By unlocking the regeneration of the Southern Gateway we will see homes and jobs for this city which otherwise would not be built or come here. Working with the council and Mayor Tracy Brabin and her team I will be doing everything I can to push on and move forward with ambitious plans that enable future phases of Northern Powerhouse Rail. This network will better connect the young people in the city with opportunities in Manchester and Liverpool as well as Sheffield.”
The Hoot -
29th November 2021 
