The move to extend trading hours is intended to alleviate some of the pressure caused by lockdown-enforced closures and will last through December and January, the Telegraph reports.

In an article for the newspaper, Robert Jenrick, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, appealed to the public to support their local high streets and asked councils to allow shops to take advantage of the newly relaxed restrictions.

The new rules should allow shops to decide how long they stay open — including the option of 24/7 trading if desired — although extensions could be at the discretion of a local council, according to the Telegraph.

Primark, a budget fashion chain which does not trade online, already announced extended trading hours once England’s nationwide lockdown lifts on December 2, with plans to keep 11 stores open 24 hours.