A dad who tried to shop at a Tesco in Wales wearing just socks, shoes and underpants has appeared on Good Morning Britain to explain why. You can watch footage of his ballsy shopping bid here:
Christopher Noden, from Newport, rocked up at the supermarket scantily-clad in the midst of the country's 17-day 'firebreak lockdown', during which supermarkets have been prohibited from selling 'non-essential' items, such as clothes, shoes, toys and bedding.
Advert
The rule has been met with fierce criticism, and more than 64,000 people have signed a petition calling for supermarkets in Wales to be allowed to sell non-essential items during lockdown.
Elaborating on why he decided to make his feelings known in this fashion, 38-year-old Christopher said on Good Morning Britain: "It felt like I was going to prove my point.
"I wanted to prove the point, my wife showed me this meme on Facebook: 'Only in Wales can you go shopping without your clothes on'.
"So I said 'Come on then, let's prove the point in Wales you can go shopping without your clothes on and there's nothing you can do about it'.
Advert
"As soon as he [the staff member] said clothes were essential the point was proven and I was happy, like, we didn't go out attacking the Welsh Government with it, but it is obviously proving a big point to them."
Are clothes essential or non-essential? After the Welsh Government banned the sale of ‘non-essential items’, including clothes, Chris Noden turned up at the supermarket in his boxers in protest. … He wasn’t let in. Chris talks to @adilray and @CharlotteHawkns.
He added: "To me personally, everyone can find essential items in something. If something is essential to someone at some point in time, something is essential to everyone.
"I understand they have to control crowds in shops but if someone really needs something or an item, what is it to stop them.
Advert
"They are actually blocking these aisles off with sweets, chocolate, bottles of vodka, whisky, lager, they are blocking it off with all non-essential items, essentially."
First Minister Mark Drakeford has said there will be a review into how the rules are being implemented today (26 October), but they will not be changed.
We’ll be reviewing how the weekend has gone with the supermarkets and making sure that common sense is applied. Supermarkets can sell anything that can be sold in any other type of shop that isn't required to close. In the meantime, please only leave home if you need to.
Speaking to BBC Wales yesterday (25 October) afternoon, he said: "The position we face in Wales is really and deeply serious and for these two weeks we are asking people to stay at home and not to mix with other people as much as they can.
Advert
"If the rules are not sensible rules, if there are anomalies that are emerging, we will put them right, but the basic underlying public health emergency has not gone away.
"The basic decision is the right one. If the implementation of it, the interpretation of it needs to be revisited to make sure the rules are sensible, then we will do that.
"Non-essential goods are not allowed to be sold over the next two weeks. That's why there are hundreds of shops the length and breadth of Wales are closed. The underlying issue is not about shopping, it is about saving lives."
Advert
The Welsh government previously said the rule was 'not for the sake of being difficult'.
It said: "The purpose of selling essential items only during fire-break is to discourage spending more time than necessary in shops and to be fair to retailers who have to close.
"This is not for the sake of being difficult - we need to do everything we can to minimise the time we spend outside our homes. This will help save lives and protect the NHS."
The lockdown is scheduled to end on 9 November.
Featured Image Credit: ITV/Good Morning BritainTopics: UK News, lockdown, Good Morning Britain, Wales