Coronavirus: 'Essential retailer' The Range criticised for remaining open

The Range is open during the coronavirus lockdown as it sells food, pet food and toilet rolls

A furniture and garden store "classified as an essential retailer" has still been described as an example of "the worst of British" business by a council leader for being open.

The Range is open during the coronavirus lockdown as it sells food, pet food and toilet rolls.

Basildon council leader Gavin Callaghan said it is putting staff at risk as most of its goods are non-essential.

The company said it is paying "strict adherence" to government guidelines.

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The Range, which has 180 stores across the country, sells home, leisure and garden but complies with government rules because it also sells essential supplies.

In a statement Mr Callaghan said he had written to the chief executive of the company, which has a store in Pitsea, near Basildon, Essex.

The Range, which has stores around the country, is predominantly a furniture and garden store

He told the company that by exploiting government legislation "in order to maximise your profits at this time, you are showing yourselves to be examples of the worst of British business".

"You are forcing my residents to travel to work to provide non-essential services, therefore putting their lives, the lives of your customers and their families at risk," Mr Callaghan said.

He asked the company's boss: "How are you sleeping at night knowing that your staff, your customers and all of their families are potentially being infected?"

A spokesman for the company said: "The Range has been classified as an essential retailer by the UK government.

"We therefore continue to open to serve our community and customers in these challenging times. In doing so we are tightly adhering to all social distancing government guidance."

In a statement, it added that safety measures included entrance marshalling, controlled customer numbers, sanitising stations, 2m floor markings and perspex till sneeze screens.

"Strict adherence to the government's guidance for essential retailers is ensured at all times" which has been acknowledged in writing by Basildon Council's senior environmental health officer, it said.

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