Have your say: Should UK shops ban alcohol sales after 9pm?

Following the introduction of the 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants, there have been calls to restrict alcohol sales in an effort to discourage late-night shopping.

Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, criticised the government curfew, saying it resulted in supermarkets being “absolutely packed out to the rafters and lots of people gathering after 10pm”.

With the obvious social distancing concerns resulting from a mass group of people converging to buy alcohol, Burnham suggested a 9pm curfew on buying any alcoholic drinks in supermarkets.

However, Boris Johnson’s spokesman rejected the idea, saying: “There are already existing rules in relation to licensing.

“Plus there is a requirement for all shops to ensure that any sale of items including alcoholic drinks is done in a COVID-secure way.

“In terms of what people are doing elsewhere, the rule of six is in force in terms of meetings among households.”

Read more: Boris Johnson ‘never discussed 10pm pub curfew with science advisers’