SHOPPERS are being encouraged to plan ahead for their Christmas outings and support their own town's high street.

Ahead of the first weekend since lockdown, residents across Cheshire are being advised to avoid busy peak hour travel as much as possible.

And there is a call for residents to give their town's economy a boost by supporting their own high street, rather than travelling elsewhere.

In particular, police are urging residents to avoid travelling to Greater Manchester for shopping trips, with the area in Tier 3 for Covid restrictions.

Supt Julie Westgate, head of uniform operations at Cheshire Police, said: “We urge anyone going out shopping this Christmas to plan their journey and go online for local traffic details before leaving home.

“At the current time Cheshire is classed as a Tier 2 area, and residents are asked to follow the national guidance and avoid travelling into any Tier 3 areas unless it’s essential to do so.

"Instead, we encourage residents to support their local economy and shop locally wherever possible.

"We would also like to remind shoppers of the need to maintain social distancing at all times and to wear a face-covering whenever inside a shop.”

All shoppers are asked to stay two metres apart from other households where possible, cover faces when indoors and wash their hands or use hand sanitiser regularly.

Visitors are asked to check local traffic reports before making their journey and consider choosing to walk or cycle for shorter journeys.