Barrow and Furness MP Simon Fell writes a weekly column for The Mail. This week he talks about the buzz returning to the town centre and also discusses shocking abuse faced by retail workers.

IT WAS great to step out of my office on Cavendish Street and see people back on the high street and shops trading again.

There’s a buzz about town and it’s great to see people sat outside pubs, especially now that the sun seems to have returned.

That we’ve got to this point is testament not just to the vaccination programme, but also to people’s graft in sticking to the rules. I thank you all for that.

Now is the time to remember those local stores who did so much to support us during lockdown: staying open so that we could get the essentials, changing their businesses to help those who were shielding, and delivering or offering click and collect.

We’ve all got a bit more used to relying on the internet during this pandemic. Now, as we unlock, I’d urge as many of you as possible to shop locally so that we can keep our high streets going.

On a related subject, this week in Parliament I joined the evidence session that the Home Affairs Select Committee held on violence and abuse against retail workers.

Only a few months ago I had a meeting on the very same subject with some of the team at the Co-op in Askam, and was shocked by the stories which they told.

There is no doubt that Covid has driven more abuse and violence against those retail workers who we heard from at the select committee – the statistics speak for themselves.

Some of the tales from the frontline were just shocking – people spitting at retail staff in the midst of a pandemic, and even threatening, and carrying out, violence.

At any time this is unacceptable – and often unlawful – behaviour, but it seems much worse now when we are so reliant on many of these retail staff who have been on the front line for so long.

Some groups want a new law put in place to protect those people, and the committee I sit on will now debate the merits of that and make a recommendation to the Government.

I’ve also launched a survey this week about vaccine passports. Much has been said and written about them over the last few weeks and I’m keen to hear your views. I have no doubt that we will need them to travel overseas for the foreseeable future, but what about for going to the pub, watching the Bluebirds, or going shopping?

Personally, I think it is a bridge too far, but I’ve heard strong views on both sides of the argument locally and am keen to know what the majority think. Visit www.simonfell.org/vaccinepassports to fill in my survey.