READERS have given their verdict on calls for masks to be mandatory in all shops - as a second York shop asked all customers to cover their faces.

Disney Store in Parliament Street declared yesterday that face covering was required on entry and today Little Apple Bookshop in High Petergate has tweeted that it too is asking everyone who enters its shop to please wear a face covering.

"We're with Rachael Maskell, Sadiq Khan, York Disney Store, Germany (apart from Berlin!), Jürgen Klopp and his Liverpool players, and the entire UK Public Transport System on this one!!"it added.

York Central MP Rachael Maskell said yesterday that every step necessary to keep the public and shop workers safe must be adhered to, and while the infection risk remained high across the UK, she supported the wearing of masks.

She added: "This may be a short term inconvenience but could prevent a second peak."

She was backing a call by London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, for facial covering be worn at every shop in the capital to help prevent a second wave of the coronavirus.

We asked for readers to give their views, and more than 150 have since given their views on this website, Facebook and Twitter, with a majority supporting the introduction of such a rule - although others had strong objections.

One supporter of a mandatory ban told how they had worn a mask when going in shops from the beginning of the pandemic, adding: "Turns out I've had the coronavirus and didn't show many symptoms, so I'm relieved that I wore one."

Other comments in favour included:

"As someone who works in a shop and feels invisible to customers, I’d absolutely welcome mandatory masks."

"Yes.100%. Haven’t been out shopping for 3 months until yesterday. Was shocked to see hardly any one wearing masks."

"It should be compulsory to wear a face covering in shops - simply because a minority of people are incapable of keeping their distance, or covering their mouths while sneezing."

"I'll happily mask-up in shops if it means elderly family and friends can go shopping with a bit more confidence. It's really not much to ask, is it?"

Well done Disney Store."
"Sensible precaution and easy to do."

"Definitely. Mandatory in South Africa which has a fraction it the number of cases the UK has."

Comments by those against mandatory coverings included:

"No, face covering leads to a false sense of security."

"Definitely not. Wearing a face mask gives the pond life a free opportunity to rob shops without fear of video recognition."

"There are so many people in this country who cannot wear masks, who have panic attacks at the thought of even wearing a mask. It's a real and diagnosed condition."

"If you want to totally finish the city centre off then bring in these stupid rules."

*There's still time to join the debate. What do you think?