Shh! Quiet hour at Morrisons

A WEEKLY ‘quiet hour’ will be introduced at a supermarket chain to help customers with autism.

Lights will be dimmed, beeping machines will be hushed and trolley movements will be reduced from 9am to 10am every Saturday at Morrisons.

Music and tannoy announcements will be stopped and the volume will be turned down on self-service checkouts to help those who suffer from sensory overload caused by loud noises.

Daniel Cadey, from the National Autistic Society which helped to create the scheme, said: ‘This is a step in the right direction for autistic people who find supermarket shopping a real struggle.’

Bosses decided to introduce the idea at all of the retail giant’s 493 UK stores following a trial earlier this year.

Angela Gray, community champion at Morrisons supermarket in Woking, said: ‘I was involved in the initial trial as my son is autistic and we found that these changes made a real difference.’