I WOULD like to express my gratitude through your newspaper to the many key workers locally who have worked so hard to ensure our services are maintained and keep our supermarket shelves relatively well stocked after the initial lockdown panic.

Shops have set up systems in-store to comply with government social distancing advice and supplied free sanitizer stations for shoppers to use while purchasing essential items.

Unfortunately, I have witnessed a small minority of selfish individuals who flout and even refuse to comply with these social distancing measures, even becoming verbally abusive to staff when in-store one-way systems are respectfully pointed out.

They are either unaware or ignorant of the fact that these systems are in place to try and keep everyone as safe as possible.

This dreadful disease and resulting global pandemic has had a profound impact on everyone. Fear, stress, loss of loved ones, loss of income, will undoubtedly continue even as the lockdown is slowly eased.

We are all in it together, so perhaps that small minority could be a little more understanding and a bit more appreciative to all those key workers doing their best to maintain essential supplies and keep us safe.

JAN RUSSELL

Willow Way, Ferndown