THE government announced on Friday that all pubs, restaurants, cafes, cinemas and theatres, leisure centres and gyms must close.

This represented the biggest step yet taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus throughout the UK by stopping large gatherings of people.

Despite this, the town centre was still fairly busy on Saturday, with small crowds filling the streets and supermarkets still as crowded as ever.

Adver readers voiced their views on this latest precaution.

TERRY SARGENT: "This happened here in Spain. The next action was for police and military to be deployed because people flouted the advice. Watch this space."

ALEX CLARK: "I’ll be at work because of every idiot panic buying."

LINDA WILLIAMS: "I'm writing from Italy. Do what they tell you, we are in complete lock down, it's no joke."

FIONA SMART: "This is the UK, where nobody listens, only a select few. People in the UK have an attitude of "it won't happen to me" or they simply don't care.

"I worry for my son and dad. They'll be hospitalised if they catch it, like many others. That's why we only go out if absolutely necessary."

JULIE GREENWOOD: "Let's hope the people who have selfishly and stupidly ignored the service so far actually start to listen."

KIMBERLEEY BENNETT: "The way I see it is if I still have to go to work then, I mean, I'm stood in a big building with God knows how many germ infested people. So it can't be that bad if they allow you to work."

TANYA LEGG: "If people aren't going to listen, I think it's time Boris put us on lock down."

TARA WILSON: "The PM has not put us I lock down and until he does people will still venture out.

"Maybe only a matter of time before this happens and until then I guess people are making the most of being "allowed " out. Besides, if people are supposed to stay at home then why are fashion shops still open?"

CLAIRE PELLOW: "I’m now not going out unless I need essentials for my family and am working from home. I would rather go to town, which is quieter than the supermarkets have been."

DAVE HAINES: "What choice do people have? Some are in key roles and need to work, while others have to venture out to the shops because the selfish stripped the shops bare weeks ago."

STUEY PARKER: " If people stop panic buying, we wouldn’t be like this. Just do a normal shop and think of other people like the elderly who can’t get to do their shopping and rely on home deliveries."

NATALIE SALOYEDOFF: "There will still be a number of people going out looking for bare essentials to get by.

"Some of us don’t get paid until the end of the month and with it being completely impossible to book a home delivery, it’s obvious people need to grab things to survive."

PAUL FARWELL: "If it doesn't stop soon, enforcement will be next."

CLARE BELL: "I haven't been able to do a normal weekly shop for coming up to three weeks now. I just grab what I can from wherever I can when I can.

"As my supplies start to disappear, I'm going to end up being one of those people who queue at the crack of dawn ."

KEVIN PINNEGAR: " I understand all of the 'nobody is listening' viewpoints, but in a town of some 200,000 people, how are you to know that the people in town and supermarkets aren't going out because it was absolutely necessary for them?

"Just because some of you decided not to go out because its a weekend and you're working from home and your cupboards are full of stuff you won't eat for three months, not everybody is in the same situation."