The government has said shops in England will be permitted to open until 10pm when lockdown restrictions ease next month.

Communities secretary Robert Jenrick has said that stores will be able to open for extended hours from Monday to Saturday in a bid to help shoppers return to destinations safely and ease pressure on public transport at peak times.

Under the temporary measures, shops will be allowed to open at 7am and close at 10pm, which may also help retailers who have been badly hit by enforced store closures.

The move is likely to be popular with consumers who were previously given the opportunity to shop in extended hours in the lead-up to the Christmas period, with retailers such as Primark opening for 24 hours in certain locations.

Trade union Usdaw has warned that the decision may not be popular with retail staff, saying the extended hours should be voluntary or covered by new staff.

Jenrick said: “To support businesses to reopen and recover, I’ve extended measures to allow shops to stay open for longer. This is part of a package of support to help reopen our shops and high streets safely, backed by £56m.

“This will provide a much-needed boost for many businesses – protecting jobs, reducing pressure on public transport and supporting people and communities to continue to visit their high streets safely and shop locally.”

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