AN initiative to help elderly and vulnerable people purchase essentials during the Covid-19 outbreak has been launched.

Harwich councillor Ivan Henderson and Essex Fire Service community builder Les Nicoll have visited supermarkets in Harwich and Dovercourt, including Asda, Morrisons, Lidl, Iceland and the Co-op to ask if they can open for an hour in the morning exclusively for older and vulnerable residents so they can shop in a safe environment.

Iceland, in High Street, Dovercourt, is now running a two-hour period every Wednesday morning between 9am and 11am designated for vulnerable members of the society.

Mr Henderson said unfortunately other members of the public are not acknowledging the older generation also needs their essentials.

He said: “I’d like to urge people to co-operate and respect the allocated time for the elderly and not go into the shops.

“This is essential to safeguard old people, who also need to get essential items from their shops at a time which is safe for them.”

He added the majority of the supermarkets are still waiting for a response from their headquarters.

He continued saying he’s working closely with Sir Bernard Jenkin, who is Harwich and North Essex's MP.

“I asked our MP if he could raise this issue at a national level”, he said.

Sainsbury's became the latest group to offer priority home delivery slots to elderly and vulnerable customers, as well as exclusive shopping hours.

Its supermarkets will only open to these two groups for the first hour of trading on Thursday, chief executive Mike Coupe said, but will open for an hour longer so other shoppers do not miss out.

Harwich Connexions, a community transport group, also got in touch with Mr Henderson and said they would like to provide free transportation for vulnerable people to support this initiative.

The Harwich Connexions service is now free for anyone holding a valid bus pass, not just people registered with the service.

A request has been made to Essex County Council to relax the rules on bus passes so people could use them before 9am.

Essex County Council are now in the process of considering the proposals.

An Essex County Council spokesman said: “Essex County Council is currently urgently discussing this, but we would need the co-operation of the operators.”