Barking and Dagenham Council has told another local store that it must shut its doors for trading after it continued to ignore the regulations in place to stop coronavirus from spreading.



Barking Fish of Station Parade, Barking had been warned several times by council enforcement officers around its behaviour and response to the pandemic, but it failed to engage and comply with the advice provided.



Staff operating within the shop were found, between the Tuesday 10 November 2020 and Tuesday 9 March 2021. to be breaching Covid regulations numerous times, namely, for failing to enforce the use of face coverings and allowing the shop to be over occupied by customers.



The store was issued with a Direction Notice on Friday 12 March at 12pm informing them that they must close for a period of 14 days, which will be reviewed by the enforcement team on Friday 19 March.



Councillor Margaret Mullane, Cabinet Member for Enforcement and Community Safety said: “We have closed a number of businesses during the pandemic and we will continue to so whilst regulations are still in place. We are only at the start of the roadmap out of lockdown and everyone should still be following all rules set by the government.



“This particular business had been warned a number of times but failed to comply and essentially continued to put residents at risk. I hope this closure will make them change their ways.”



For the business to reopen, the Direction states that there must be a written policy in place that shows the following measures have been taken:



1.    Ensure social distancing can always be maintained in store and that this can be fully monitored by staff.

2.    All customers must a wear a face covering while in the store unless they’re exempt.



Barking and Dagenham Council wants to remind businesses and residents that the country is still in a lockdown and that everyone must still be following the regulations put in place by the government, which includes social distancing and wearing a face covering when expected to.