MIDDLESBROUGH mayor, Andy Preston, criticises supermarkets for not ensuring that folks “mask up”.

I’ve talked to supermarket supervisors and they state – rightly – that they are not the police. If someone refuses, they cannot manhandle and throw them out, and the police are too busy to deal with trivial situations.

I suggested stores could refuse service and tell the customer: “You can stand there all day, but you’re not getting anything”. The supervisor said the staff feared violence if such an approach was taken.

The same applies on buses – drivers cannot refuse travel; presumably for the same reasons of a fear of violence.

GB Butler, Stockton-on-Tees.