Coronavirus case confirmed at Stevensons in Southbourne

Stevensons in Seabourne Road broke the news in a post on Facebook.

It says: "Due to a confirmed case of Covid-19 at our Bournemouth branch we have temporarily closed the store as a precautionary measure.

"Web orders will continue to be processed from Monday September 28 and our customer service team are still available."

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The store provides uniform for many of the schools across Bournemouth,Christchurch and Poole and has been visited by thousands of people in the run-up to the start of the school term.

Frustrated parents and pupils queued for several hours due to limits on the number of people allowed to enter the store due to social distancing guidelines.

At the end of last month, the Daily Echo reported how parents faced a three-hour wait to buy school uniform.

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People wishing to buy a full school uniform were advised to make appointments. 

One parent said: "By the time I get home I will have had a round trip of at least four hours just to get a few bits and pieces."

A statement on the Stevensons website said: "We will be maintaining social distancing measures inside our stores, so we will be managing numbers at busy times. So, you may need to queue outside at certain times."

Speaking at the time, Matthew Easter, co-chair of the Schoolwear Association, said: “Like many other retail sectors, the schoolwear industry recognised that there would be challenges in serving the required volume of customers whilst implementing social distancing, given the highly seasonal selling period running up to the start of the new school year in September."