A popular shopping mall has been praised for its handling of the lifting of lockdown restrictions on non-essential retail.

Shoppers returned to Bluewater, near Dartford, on Monday to find a changed shopping experience which bosses at the destination hope will ensure social distancing remains enforced.

Back at Bluewater - how the centre looked on the first day of shopping post-lockdown

Senior centre director Robert Goodman said they would be maintaining a "robust approach" to social distancing, with one-way and keep left signs in place to "manage the flows" of visitors seeking some retail therapy.

The reopening of the mall was praised by local MP Gareth Johnson, who raised the successful operation in the House of Commons yesterday.

Questioning Treasury minister Jesse Norman, Mr Johnson said: "Bluewater in my constituency reopened its doors yesterday and did so in a cautious and responsible manner.

"It was fantastic to see so many shops there welcoming back customers for the first time.

"Does the Minister agree that centres like Bluewater should be praised not only for getting our economy back on track but for allowing us to get back to some form of normality?"

Mr Norman replied: "I absolutely do think that. I pay particular tribute to shops, malls and shopping centres that go the extra mile to be particularly safe and careful, within ​more than the spirit of the regulations, in ensuring that people can use them.

"I congratulate Bluewater on the extent to which it has done that."

Mr Johnson visited the mall on Friday prior to the reopening to see the measures put in place.

He said: "Bluewater has always made the safety of its guests its priority. The careful measures put in place protect staff and shoppers whilst ensuring the process towards normality begins."

Queues snaked around the centre on Monday morning as the first shoppers returned to stores, with Primark proving extremely popular with returning customers.

Mr Goodman said he was excited to welcome back the 7,000 staff employed at Bluewater after "challenging times" since lockdown started on March 23, and said there is a "well-established support" network in place for them to safely return to work.

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