Staff at the Tesco in Gillingham where a man in his 40s collapsed with a suspected heart attack have been praised for their dignity amid claims from some shoppers that staff should have shut the superstore while paramedics treated him.

The man, believed to be local, was pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday afternoon. The store was particularly busy at the time as people rushed to get their shopping done amid severe weather warnings.

A Tesco spokesman said: "Our thoughts are with this man's family and friends. We should also like to praise staff and paramedics for dealing with what was a very traumatic situation."

A customer said: "I was at Tesco when it happened and I feel so sorry for his family. I thought the staff dealt with the situation very well and with dignity and respect for the poor guy."

Shop workers cordoned off the area using crates as a screen in the aisle. But unconfirmed reports suggested that some customers were unhappy about their shopping trip being disrupted.