HUNDREDS headed to Hereford this week as non-essential shops reopened and outdoor dining resumed.

Hereford Times:

Hereford Times:

Crowds were seen in the city centre, in stark contrast to the picture at the height of the pandemic.

Hereford Times:

Hereford Times:

Long queues had built up outside shops that have been closed for months, with shoppers keen to get their hands on everything from new clothes to tech.

Primark and TK Maxx were two shops to open early, as some people were eager to head back to clothes shops after almost four months.

Hereford Times:

Hereford Times:

Non-essential shops reopened in Hereford on Monday alongside pubs, restaurant and beauty services across England as lockdown eased.

It was the first time the businesses have been allowed to open since December, when Herefordshire was plunged into Tier 3 of Covid-19 restrictions.

Hereford Times:

Hereford Times:

The next “waymarks” on England’s plan to ease restrictions are due on May 17 and June 21. Indoor dining and large events are expected to start being allowed in May, while the Government is aiming to remove all legal limits on social contact and allow those businesses still closed, such as nightclubs, to reopen in June.