GREGGS is to close all of its stores across the UK in order to help Britons maintain "social distancing measures," but will continue to pay its staff members.

The Newcastle-based bakery firm made the announcement on Monday evening as the government said it would consider "tougher measures" if people ignored social distancing rules.

On social media, Greggs said it had taken the "difficult decision" to close all shops - including its takeaway options - in order to help the country combat coronavirus.

It also said it would be paying its staff members their full contract hours for as long as the firm could.

A statement said: "We've been doing everything we can to keep our shops open and everyone safe but it has become clear that to help us all maintain social distance we need to go further and close all of our shops completely.

"So, we have made the difficult decision to close all of our shops on Tuesday 24th March.

"First and foremost, thank you to our amazing colleagues for the hard work they have been putting in every day.

"They live and breathe the Greggs spirit and we couldn't have got through these challenging times without their unwavering positivity and cooperation.

"While we are closed, we will continue supporting our colleagues with full contract hours for as long as we are able although we will need to keep this under review as the siutation develops.