DISCOUNT Sports Skipton is offering customers the chance to ‘click and collect’ goods if they are nervous about the new mask-wearing regime which came into effect today.

Owner Ruth Eidsforth said: “Face coverings are now mandatory again in shops in England as a precaution against the new Omicron variant of coronavirus.

“Some supermarkets have said they will not enforce the new rule and yet there are warnings of fines if customers, who are not exempt, do not comply to the new rule.

“Although we are happy as a team to wear masks again there is a worry that customers will be reluctant to shop with non essential shops such as ours. We really don’t want to go back into another lockdown and if introducing masks again can prevent this then we welcome it.

“We are hopeful that local customers will continue to support us and shop with local independent shops where they can. We are looking forward to the Christmas markets which take place over the next 2 Sundays and are confident that people will still visit Skipton for these events and to support our town.

“If customers are nervous about visiting us they are welcome to shop online with us or we offer a click and collect service where we can meet a customer at their car to deliver their order. “