THE mayor of Northwich has slammed ‘idiots’ who are giving town centre businesses grief when asked to put a face covering on.

Town councillors discussed the coronavirus pandemic at Monday’s meeting following a week which saw Cheshire West join the Government’s watchlist as an ‘area of concern’ and borough leaders make a plea to Westminster for new measures to tackle Covid-19.

Cllr Kevin Rimmer, town mayor, told councillors that some town centre business owners he spoke to – who wish to remain anonymous – had faced abuse when requesting customers wear a mask.

He said: “There are some businesses that have been struggling with – for want of a nicer word – idiots that refuse to put a mask on when they go into their business.

“They were asked to leave and they [businesses] have had a load of verbal abuse – which is appalling.”

Cllr Rimmer also called on shoppers to use the hand sanitiser provided in the entrance of most town centre businesses.

He added: “A lot of people are not using it, a lot of the businesses are not monitoring it and they are just saying it is down to people’s choice.

“But in theory, if it is there it should be being used, because the bigger picture is that it helps and supports all of us.”

However, Cllr Andrew Cooper was more positive about the town’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, insisting that ‘by and large’ people in Northwich are following all the guidelines.

He said: “People are giving each other space, they are wearing masks – even in the street where they don’t have to, most people are wearing masks, and in shops it is almost universal.

“When we have got the kinds of numbers that we are seeing in our neighbouring boroughs, it is inevitable just through people working in other parts of the north west, that the cases are going to go up.

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“I would certainly not be one of those people that blame the public for not following the rules because the public in Northwich at least are following the rules and doing everything they can.

“We might have more restrictions and we will deal with that if it happens, but we have just got to do what we can to try and get everything under control."