POLICE have been patrolling at intu Merry Hill to ensure shoppers are adhering to coronavirus laws.

Officers from Brierley Hill say they have been working with intu Merry Hill "to engage with the public around the wearing of face coverings and the current Covid legislation".

Shoppers have previously complained on social media about fellow customers failing to wear face coverings and follow social distancing rules while shopping at the centre.

A spokesman for the centre said: "At intu Merry Hill, we have a close working relationship with all of the emergency services in our local community and on Monday, we helped support the police as they engaged with members of the public about the importance of following the latest government guidelines.

"We’re asking all of our shoppers to continue to follow this important safety advice and we’d like to thank our visitors for doing their part in making the centre a safe place for everyone.”

The Dudley borough, in which Merry Hill is situated, falls into the level one (medium) category under the new Covid-19 tier-system introduced yesterday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson - unlike surrounding council areas - Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, Birmingham and Solihull - which are in the level two (high) category.

In Dudley:

People must not meet in groups larger than six, indoors or outdoors.

All businesses and venues can continue to operate in a Covid-secure manner, apart from those that remain closed by law such as nightclubs.

Certain businesses selling food or drink on their premises are required to close between 10pm and 5am.

Businesses and venues selling food for consumption off the premises can continue to do so after 10pm as long as this is through delivery service, click-and-collect or drive-thru.

Schools, universities and places of worship remain open

Weddings and funerals can go ahead with restrictions on the number of attendees

Organised indoor sport and exercise classes can continue to take place, provided the rule of six is followed