Daily Express

Picture that shames Britain: Hero ambulance worker shunted to back of supermarke­t queue by panic buyers

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FEARFUL NHS workers had to abandon plans to go shopping in a special hour for them over concerns as a scrum of more than 1,000 shoppers queued to get in at the same time.

The staff desperate to stock up on supplies after long shifts had to give up as people refused to comply with social distancing.

The Tesco store in Dudley, West Midlands, opened at 9am for the NHS staff hour but it turned into a situation where shoppers were “fighting” and “panicked” and there was a “deep crush” at the front door.

One NHS worker branded the situation as a “disgrace”.

Another health worker gave up on the shop during priority hours due to the chaos outside Tesco in Liverpool, although she praised the gesture by staff to offer browsing hours.

She arrived to scenes of

By Liz Perkins

hundreds of shoppers queuing around the car park before 9am ahead of Sunday trading at 10am.

The worker, who had to go to another Tesco instead, where people refused to stick to social distancing of six feet at checkouts.

She said: “What the supermarke­ts have offered to NHS staff is amazing, having these extra hours.

“However the Government needs to listen, having Sunday trading laws still in place, leaving hundreds of people in a supermarke­t store for an hour queuing, especially a massive group of people who are likely to pick up and carry the virus is ridiculous.”

Frontline NHS workers have also revealed how they have been spat at and branded “disease spreaders” in the street.

 ??  ?? Picture: DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA
Queues build up outside Costco in Croydon, south London
Picture: DOMINIC LIPINSKI/PA Queues build up outside Costco in Croydon, south London

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