Lidl has promised to review safety measures at its Maryport superstore.

This follows complaints from customers that social distancing regulations are being ignored and, in the words of one customer, “it is just a free-for-all”.

Jeremy Anderson of Church Terrace, Maryport, said: “I hate going in there. At first there was a way to safely queue for the tills but even that has gone.

"They are supposed to limit the number of people in the shop. I was there one day and the person monitoring it was chatting to someone and people were just going in.”

Ann Armstrong, of Crosby, said: “I avoid going in there now. I feel totally unsafe.”

One man, who did not want to be named, said he now goes to Lidl in Wigton to shop.

“I like Lidl but it is pandemonium in Maryport, even though it is a much bigger shop with wider aisles.”

He said he felt safer in the Wigton shop.

He also praised Maryport’s other shops, Heron’s and B&M, who he said were adhering to social distancing rules.

A Lidl spokesman said: “We take the health and safety of our customers and colleagues extremely seriously and are committed to maintaining a safe shopping environment in our stores.

“For this reason, we have a range of measures in place, which includes positioning designated team members at entrances at peak times to manage the volume of people entering. A raft of clear communication reminding customers of the importance of maintaining a two-metre distance from each other when shopping is also in place, including floor markings in stores to mark a safe distance, as well as regular audio announcements.

“Dedicated cleaning stations are also available at store entrances for customers with hand sanitiser, disinfectant and wipes, to use on their trolleys and baskets. Additionally, we have installed protective screens at our checkouts along with the introduction of protective visors and masks for colleagues to wear if they wish.

“We sincerely apologise if any of these measures were not in place.

“We will continue to review all of the measures we have in place to help maintain social distancing in our Maryport store.”