THE legal requirement to wear face coverings in shops, cafes and restaurants has ended in England, but Hereford shoppers haven’t ditched them just yet.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged caution ahead of stage four of the roadmap out of lockdown, with most legal restrictions ending in England on Monday.

But shops, pubs and restaurants asked shoppers to continue wearing face coverings, and the vast majority of shoppers complied, with Tesco, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons and Waitrose among the supermarkets to issue a plea to shoppers.

It was after the Government published guidance for firms which said it “expects and recommends” masks to be worn by workers and customers in crowded, enclosed spaces.

The Beefy Boys in the Old Market shopping centre said that while it was delighted to see restrictions ease and the country head back to some form of normality, it recognised not everyone felt safe yet.

Announcing that staff would wear masks, it said it would “love” it if diners did the same, although it was a personal choice.

The Corners Inn in Kingsland, near Leominster, said in the interests of having a safe environment for customers and staff, measures such as table service only, social distancing and screens would remain.

It also said it “strongly recommended” visitors carry on wearing masks.

In Hereford on Monday, most shoppers appeared to be wearing masks inside shops, with an Office for National Statistics survey revealing two-thirds of adults in Great Britain still planned to cover their faces in shops after July 19.

Left Bank owner Gary Waring said customers were being encouraged to wear masks, but not forced, and Nikki Gray, of La Madeleine in Church Street, said staff would wear masks as they wanted visitors to feel safe.