The Waitrose supermarket in Wells is going to be posting marshals on its front doors to make sure that everyone shopping there is wearing a mask.

Waitrose will insist that all customers must wear a face covering, unless medically exempt or under the required age. This new approach will be rolled-out across all stores, including Wells, over the next few days.

Marshals will be positioned at the entrances of all supermarkets. They will have disposable masks available for customers who do not have their own and will deny admission to anyone refusing to comply.

They will also be ensuring that, wherever possible, only one member of each household is permitted to shop.

Partners in Waitrose shops will now be required to wear face coverings when behind protective plastic screens and in back of house areas, in addition to the other areas where this rule already applies.

Andrew Murphy, executive director for operations at the John Lewis Partnership that owns Waitrose, said: "We are acutely aware that the country is at a critical point in the pandemic and are constantly thinking about how best the Partnership and our Partners can play our part in limiting the spread and impact of the virus.

"We've listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK's governments in recent days.

"While we recognise that the detail of formal guidance has not changed, we feel it is right for us - and in the best interests of our Partners and customers - to take proactive steps to further enhance our Covid-security and related operational policies.

"By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers."