'We don't want to be Covid police': Fishmonger's left stung by criticism of its social distancing measures - before other customers stepped in

Chorlton fishmonger Out of the Blue has been flooded with support for continuing its social distancing policy.

The shop has been running a four customers at one time arrangement in the premises for the past two years, with a view to keeping both its staff and customers safe during the pandemic.

However, it has received some criticism for maintaining the policy, as restrictions start to lift.

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Following a negative Google review over the weekend (the shop has a sterling 4.9 out of 5 rating), in which a customer noted ‘disrespectful customer service’, owner Dave Yarwood asked followers on Twitter whether the policy should be reviewed.

“It’s doing my nut in getting negative reviews,” he said. “We are trying our best.”

However, the replies to the tweet were overwhelmingly supportive in keeping the policy in place.

And, speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Mr Yarwood said: “I don’t want to be the Covid police.

“There’s a massive sign outside the shop, and we’ve been doing it for two years.

“But we sort of like [the policy] in the shop, it’s not as hectic as it used to be. There are pros and cons to it.

"The pros are that it’s very efficient, people can peruse, and we’re a bit more organised. A lot of the fish is ready prepped. People are in and out.

“The downside is the atmosphere of the shop. Pre-pandemic, we might have 20 people in, all dialects, all languages, and it would be noisy, people shouting, swapping recipes and cooking tips.

“And I liked that, but that’s gone for now. I’m sure at some point it will all be relaxed. Maybe we’ll not be back to that level. It’s just a little bit annoying that some people don’t get it.

“But we’ve been