B&Q has reopened all its stores across the UK following the coronavirus shutdown.

The DIY retailer has gradually reopened its 288 UK stores over the past two weeks, with its last remaining sites opening their doors to the public on Thursday.

Customers have flocked to its stores, resulting in long queues of shoppers after social distancing measures were put in place.

Hardware stores are among retailers listed by the Government as essential stores which could remain open through the lockdown.

However, the retailer shut its sites temporarily in order to ensure adequate safety measures could be put in place, before gradually reopening sites.

Rivals, such as a Homesbase and Wickes, have also reopened rafts of their own stores in recent days.

B&Q said it is “strictly limiting the number of customers in store at any one time” and has also installed other safety measures, such as sanitation stations for trolleys.

It has also introduced two metre markets on the floors and arrows to guide customers through the store, as well as Perspex screens and contactless payments only at checkouts.

Graham Bell, chief executive officer of B&Q, said: “Our highest priority is to keep our colleagues safe at work and our customers safe while shopping.

“In all our stores, we have strict social distancing measures in place.

“Customers are adhering to these, helping us to offer a shopping environment that is safe for everyone, while we help them to look after their homes and gardens, as well as their wellbeing.

“Whether shopping in our stores or online, we continue to ask all our customers to follow the Government’s social distancing guidelines and to shop responsibly only when they need to.”