Parents urged to help enforce face coverings as rules flouted

Shopkeepers in Tayside and Fife have urged parents to ensure their children wear face coverings in stores amid worries about pupils flouting the guidance at lunchtimes.

Pupils who leave school grounds for lunch must wear face coverings in local shops and physically distance from each other.

The issue was highlighted when Dundee pupils were warned over congregating in large crowds and failing to wear face masks in city shops.

One shop near Kinross High School appealed to parents to encourage youngsters to wear masks.

Joanna Casonato, who owns Giacopazzi’s shop and ice cream parlour with husband Franck, said there was a balance to strike for shopkeepers in protecting customers and staff from the virus and not discriminating against those unable to wear masks for health reasons.

She said: “We have had a lot of pupils who are not wearing masks which has made some other customers not feel at ease.

“I understand this is difficult for parents and we have asked parents to support us.

“The first minister made it clear that shop workers are not to enforce this and we have customers that have health issues and cannot wear masks.

“It’s difficult because we want to protect the community from the virus but also protect people from discrimination.

“It’s not just school pupils, there are other customers not wearing masks, but again we don’t question them.”

However, she said they were able to maintain distancing in their Kinross and Milnathort stores and added: “We have put other measures in our control in place to protect our staff and customers.”

In Broughty Ferry, pupils from Grove Academy walk in groups to a variety of city shops, including newsagents, bakeries and supermarkets, while Harris Academy pupils regularly flock to shops on nearby Perth Road.

Grove Academy pupils were warned last week after concerned residents raised the alarm on the lack of face masks at lunch times.

The pupils had reportedly been congregating in and around the burgh in large groups, not wearing face coverings inside shops.

The school said it had reiterated the rules to pupils and a week later, many pupils appear to be following the guidance.

A shopkeeper from the burgh’s

7 Day News, who did not wish to be named, said he had encountered no issues with children wearing face coverings since they returned to school.

Rector Graham Hutton accompanied pupils and urged parents to emphasise the importance of wearing face coverings following the complaints.

More than 1,200 pupils returned to Madras College in St Andrews this month and with one of the school’s buildings in the heart of the small town, local businesses were braced for the influx of lunchtime customers.

When asked how compliant the pupils had been in following the guidance on social distancing and the wearing face coverings, there was a largely positive response.

Justin Hughes, owner of Blackhorn Burgers on Church Street, was among those who was full of praise for their behaviour.

He said: “People in St Andrews have been respectful with adhering to the rules and I have found that the school kids have not been bad at all.

“On the whole, I would say we have had no issues. Customers have to wear their mask until they sit down and the kids have been doing that.

“The only thing is that they sit together if they are in a small group but it seems to be fine and we can’t have them all at separate tables.”

Staff at other local businesses, including Korean food venue Oppa and the takeaway Dervish, were also pleased with how pupils were behaving at lunch and other break times.

Lunchtime in Arbroath’s Keptie Street is often busy with pupils from nearby Arbroath High School.

Shop owners have said the vast majority of pupils are wearing face coverings when coming in to order their meal.

However one local resident said the town’s streets can often be overcrowded during lunchtime, especially as children walk to local stores in large groups.