A popular shopping outlet is set to reopen to the public after being forced to close because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Braintree Village will be welcoming shoppers back from Monday, June 15 - the date the Government says non-essential retailers can officially reopen.

The outlet has been closed since March 24 after a lockdown was enforced to slow the spread of Covid-19.

Bosses say strict social distancing rules will be in place throughout the centre but it will be up to individual outlets to decide if they will open their stores.

Centre director Josef O'Sullivan said: "Following Government advice and guidance in recent weeks, we have been working on plans for future store openings as and when it is safe to do so.

"The health and wellbeing of our guests, our colleagues and our contractors is paramount so we will only reopen our stores if the current Government advice remains in place and it is safe to do so.

"Extra measures such as one-way systems, two-metre distancing, hand sanitisers and extra cleaning will be in place, and our guest safety and guest services teams will be available to help manage queuing and capacity.

"Details will be added to Braintree Village’s website soon and, closer to June 15, guests will also be able to check online to see which stores are open.

"The centre’s social media channels will also be updated with additional information and trading hours details."