Supermarkets in Yate and Chipping Sodbury have joined Morrisons, in denying entry to customers that refuse to wear a mask or face covering without medical exemption.

Tesco and Waitrose are the latest supermarkets to take a tougher stance on customers and implored shoppers to be respectful towards staff.

Today a spokesperson for Tesco announced the supermarket giant will not let customers who are not wearing a face covering into its stores unless they are exempt in line with Government guidance, as it asked shoppers to be “kind, patient and respectful” towards staff.

A spokesperson said: “We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they’re a carer or with children.

“To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.”

Waitrose is also following suit with marshals at entrances to offer disposable masks and deny entry to anyone refusing to comply.

Andrew Murphy, executive director of operations at Waitrose parent company, the John Lewis Partnership, said: “By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers.”

They are the latest supermarkets to ban maskless shoppers, after Morrisons announced it would enforce the wearing of masks for customers unless they are medically exempt.

A Tesco worker from Gloucestershire said she was “horrified” by reactions she had received after challenging customers, adding: “I find, and so do my colleagues, that it’s not as strict as the first lockdown.”

Policing minister Kit Malthouse said he believes all supermarkets should follow in Morrisons’ footsteps, suggesting some stores have become lax with safety measures.

Speaking on Times Radio, he said: “I think that, understandably, following the November lockdown there was an element of release and therefore the person at the door, the sanitation station, the traffic light system, the queues outside obviously receded a bit.

“What we hope now, and I know all of them will, that they’ll see their responsibility and start to put those things back in place.”

Asked whether police should intervene, he said some officers have issued fines in retail settings, adding: “What we hope is the vast majority of people, or everybody, will be encouraged to do so by the shop owner.”