QUEUES formed this morning as Greggs reopened its doors to customers across the North-East - after closing almost seven weeks ago.

Just a handful of stores appear to have reopened in the region at locations including Newcastle, South Tyneside and Sunderland. 

But in Sunderland, poor weather was not enough to stop customers from flocking to the Grindon store as staff appeared to take orders from the door.

The Northern Echo:

Staff appear to be taking orders at the door in Sunderland Picture: JIM SCOTT 

Electronic displays encouraging customers to only pay by card, and to adhere to social distancing measures were paired with only a limited number of people being permitted into the store. 

It comes as earlier this month, Greggs said it would not reopen its stores as planned over concerns that customers would "flock" to its sites.

The Northern Echo:

Customers queued on Sunday morning Picture: JIM SCOTT 

At the time, Greggs said it intends to trial how staff adhered to social distancing measures while serving customers at the stores.

However, confirming it had cancelled plans to open over safety concerns, Greggs said it would instead run the trials "behind closed doors."

Greggs has since reopened a small number of stores as it continues to trial safety measures.

The Newcastle-based baker is selling its popular products, including coffee, pasties and cakes, at an undisclosed number of shops in the Tyneside area.

The gradual reopening process has followed a series of trials with staff testing working practices while remaining shut to customers.

A Greggs spokesman said: "We are initially operating shop trials behind closed doors in order to test the effectiveness of our new operational safety measures.

"We will continue to review this and will invite walk-in customers into our shops only when we can do so in the controlled manner we intended."

"Colleague and customer safety continue to be the primary focus"

Chief executive Roger Whiteside issued a statement on the firm's website, stressing the trials were in line with the Government's Covid-19 guidelines.

He said: "These trials are being conducted across a number of channels, including delivery through Just Eat, Click + Collect and walk-in customers.

"Colleague and customer safety continue to be the primary focus of the decisions we take as we start to reopen our shops.

"Thank you for your patience while we work hard to play our part in getting the nation back up and running again and serving the communities in which we operate."