Tesco announces handy trick to prevent customers shopping without face masks

The UK's biggest grocer has revealed it has a canny trick to combat people not wearing face coverings in stores.

Tesco has announced a handy scheme for any customer who arrive at its stores without a face mask or face covering.

Tesco previously confirmed it would be creating signage to remind customers to don them.

But Tesco and the three other supermarket giants said they would not make staff police the new law, which came into effect a month ago, on July 24.

Anybody flouting the rule faces £100 fines - reduced to half that figure if paid within a fortnight.

It is mandatory to wear a face mask or face covering in shops since July 24 (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

However shoppers who turn up at Tesco without a face mask can buy one at the entrance as the supermarket giant has confirmed it will be selling them for customers who arrive without one, Liverpool Echo reports.

Tesco has also confirmed that some staff members may be spotted not wearing a mask due to medical reasons.

All stores are selling face masks at their entrance (Media Wales John Myers)

They responded to a customer who tweeted to ask why its staff were not wearing face masks during a recent visit.

Tesco tweeted back: "Morning Ben, we’ve asked all our customer-facing colleagues to wear face coverings."

"There may be some colleagues, though, who are not wearing masks for medical or safety reasons.

"These reasons are set out by the government."