A Walderslade shopkeeper has spoken out after teachers stopped pupils from using his store during lockdown.

Seevaratnam Thamilchelvan, owner and manager of Dominion Stores in Walderslade Road, says he has lost £200-£300 a day since pupils at Greenace Academy were told not to use his shop after half term.

The school subsequently relaxed their rules to allow two pupils to use the shop at a time, but Mr Thamilchelvan said children had continued to avoid the shop as teachers were standing outside "like security guards" - and he believes the measures were beyond the school's jurisdiction.

"This started from when the school started after half term," he said last week. "Due to lockdown teachers from Greenacre have started standing outside our store from 8am to 9.30am and 2pm to 3pm. In the morning they try to get the kids to go straight to school. When the children asked to use the shop they didn't allow it.

"The first couple of days the kids were aggressive when they wanted to buy something, and argued with the teachers. Then one of the teachers put their hands over the door and didn't allow the kids inside, but a boy said 'Miss, you should leave now I'm going in' and he pushed her hands away and walked in.

"This Monday we had a chat with the teachers and they said you should take only two kids at a time, wearing a mask. We said that's fine."

He added: "Since Tuesday the kids have started to come in the shop, but we've still got three teachers standing outside of the shop. When the kids see them they go straight to school - the kids still feel they can't go to the shop because they're still standing outside. They're standing like security guards.

"I don't know what to do. I called the police yesterday but they said they couldn't help."

"It's taken nearly 20 percent of my income - about £200-300 a day."

One parent said she had asked her son to go into the shop to buy milk, but he had been told he wasn't allowed.

"My son came home last Thursday and was upset because he couldn't get a drink on the way home and was thirsty," she said. "He said the teachers were not allowing people in, so I said that's wrong, once you leave the school premises you become my responsibility.

"Next time we were there I sent him in to buy some milk. A member of staff stopped him and said you're not allowed in the shop. I said 'I don't think so, you can go and get the milk'.

"I was telling the children they can go in but said make sure you wear your masks.

"It's quite intimidating for any member of the public. I spoke to the shopkeeper and he said his friends own a shop and they didn't have this kind of thing going on.

"At one point there were seven teachers out there.

"There were three teachers out there yesterday - it's not right. The school said he's not Covid compliant but he's giving out free masks.

On Monday this week Mr Thamilchelvan said teachers were no longer outside the shop and that trade was returning to normal.

Louise Campbell, deputy head at Greenacre said the school has had a "fantastic relationship" with Dominion Stores in the past, particularly when they had issues with pupils leaving school.

She added: "As we entered the new national lockdown on Thursday November 5 we reiterated to all students that their journeys should be straight from home to school and from school back home, unless going to the shop was for essential shopping and, for example, not just sweets'

"We were worried that the official government requirement for children over 11 to have to wear masks wasn't being enforced at the shop. Apparently they're now giving out free masks, which is good news, but they weren't before.

"We are very protective of our pupils, our staff and the local community. We have done everything in our power to keep year groups apart for example staggered start and finish times, separate breaks and lunches. We didn't want to undo this hard work by allowing our students to congregate around the shops. We did not block or ban any of our students from going in the shop, nor act as 'bouncers' as has been portrayed in the social media. The last thing we would want is for a local business to feel unsupported by us. We spoke to the owner of Dominion stores and gave him our full support in ensuring masks were worn on entry and students entered in small groups.

"The vast majority of our parents were wholeheartedly supportive of our actions to ensure that their children went straight to school from home and then back home from school at the end of the day.

"We have always had an excellent relationship with the shop and have always been supportive towards the shopkeeper if he had any problems with any of our pupils. It appears that one of our parents was unhappy about our protective measures and sent her son to the shop while she stood by.

"This parent also put a message on Facebook but she has quite a backlash from other parents, who fully supported the school’s actions, which is to protect all of its children, staff and the local community."

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