Couples and families have been banned from shopping together at Waitrose as the supermarket ups its efforts against coronavirus.

The upmarket retailer, which has more than a dozen stores across Kent, says only one member of any household is permitted to enter the supermarket to buy essentials.

The move is in a bid to crackdown on crowds in aisles and at the checkouts.

Queueing two metres apart outside supermarkets has become the norm across the UK, but other retailers are currently not enforcing stringent limits on couples.

Waitrose does however realise that not everyone will be able to adhere to the ruling.

A spokesman said: "In line with the government’s guidance on social distancing we’re asking customers to help us manage the number of people in our shops - by sending only one member of the household to do their shopping, if they possibly can.

"While this won’t be possible for everybody, we are very grateful for our customers’ support in this difficult situation."

To protect staff from "infected moisture droplets", new checkout screens have been ordered, and, where two checkouts are back to back, one will close.

Meanwhile, Morrisons in Larkfield has also introduced the same rule of 'one shopper per household', and so too has Gibsons farm shop in Wingham.

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