A new campaign to encourage residents to shop safe, shop local has been launched in Hitchin, Letchworth, Baldock and Royston as the second national lockdown ends.

North Herts District Council has teamed up with East Herts District Council to help businesses from Royston to Hertford, and Bishop’s Stortford to Hitchin to reopen safely from tomorrow.

The necessary COVID-19 secure measures have been funded, in part, by the European Regional Development Fund and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

This latest funding will be spent on adding new planters, sanitisers, signage and temporary barriers to ensure physical distancing and to keep residents safe whilst shopping and at work

Cllr Keith Hoskins, NHDC’s executive member for enterprise and co-operative development, added: “The Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign will demonstrate the measures that have been put in place to keep everyone as safe as possible and will urge residents to support their local High Street during the pandemic by shopping local, whether that be in person, click and collect or online.”