A GARDEN centre has found huge success during lockdown as others prepare to re-open across south Essex.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged the public to “follow the rules” to control the spread of Covid-19, as he set how the lockdown in England will be eased in the coming months.

From tomorrow garden centres will be allowed to completely re-open and people will be allowed outdoors for unlimited exercise in pursuits such as tennis, golf, lawn bowls and basketball.

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But the Potash Garden Centre in Main Road, Hawkwell, has been re-opened for some time with strict social distancing measures in place, and has seen big success in its delivery services.

Simon Copeland, owner, said: “We have been doing deliveries and we have also got a pet centre so we have managed to stay open to a certain extent.

“Quite a few centres have already opened, and we are fully open now.

“We have put social distancing in place inside the centre, and outside we have got someone on the gate to monitor cars who enter the car park, so that only a certain amount can enter and park in spaces at once.

“Most people are accepting of the situation, they are quite happy to just get in really, if they have to queue they don’t mind.

“My daughters are at college but that has now shut so we have them working for us.

“It’s been very busy, and it helps that the weather has been good.

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“People are stuck at home so they have been spending a lot more time in the garden.

“The deliveries have been huge, the phone just hasn’t stopped ringing. It’s been quite a task to keep on top of it.”

The Prime Minister said it was right that the sacrifices made by the British people to drive down transmission of the virus were now acknowledged, and that the country will begin to take steps towards opening up.

He praised the “indomitable spirit of Britain”, but he told the Commons yesterday: “If the data goes the wrong way, if the alert level begins to rise, we will have no hesitation in putting on the brakes and delaying or reintroducing measures locally, regionally, or nationally.”

He added: “Our challenge is to find a way forward that preserves our hard-won gains, while easing the burden of lockdown and I’ll be candid with the house this is a supremely difficult balance to strike.”

Mr Johnson set out his “road map” for easing restrictions, starting on Wednesday with people who cannot work from home - and in sectors such as manufacturing, food production and construction - urged back to work.

However, they must keep two metres away from other people and only exercise with their own household.

People in England should also wear face coverings in enclosed places, such as in some shops and on public transport, Mr Johnson said.

For more information visit www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested.