Greggs is to close all of its stores from tomorrow, the company has announced.

CEO Roger Whiteside said in a statement that the company would continue to pay staff full contract hours during the closure.

He added that the bakery would ‘continue to provide support to our local communities by distributing any remaining unsold food and offering support for those in hardship through the Greggs Foundation’.

Mr Whiteside closed his statement by paying tribute to the ‘unsung heroes’ fighting the disease.

He said: “Last but by no means least, a special thank you to the key workers at the front line of this crisis and all those who continue to work tirelessly to reduce the spread of the virus.

“There are so many unsung heroes, and we’re in awe of you all.”

The news comes after McDonald’s announced it would be closing all of its restaurants in the UK and Ireland by 7pm today (Monday).