Bustling crowds in Horsham town centre spark covid regulation fears

regulations.

Both West Street and Swan Walk shopping centre were teeming with shoppers over the weekend and today.

Almost the whole of Surrey - whose border is just four miles north of Horsham - is in the new strict Tier 4 zone with all non-essential shops shut.

Horsham, meanwhile, is currently retaining its less-restrictive Tier 2 status.

But a spokeswoman for Horsham District Council said there was no evidence that people were breaking covid regulations to shop in Horsham.

She said: “The council does not have evidence to suggest that the shoppers in Horsham town centre this Sunday (20 December) were residents of Tier 4 restriction areas, nor that Sunday was any busier than any other pre-Christmas weekend trading day.

“We are pleased that trading has remained strong in Horsham over the busy pre-Christmas shopping period.

“We have worked hard with local retailers throughout the coronavirus pandemic to ensure they have the correct safety measures in place to enable shoppers to shop safely, and are extremely grateful to local businesses who have worked tirelessly in collaboration with us to ensure the safety of their customers and staff during these unprecedented times.”