Greggs forced to close stores across the UK due to extreme heat

Greggs forced to close stores across the UK due to extreme heat Greggs bakeries across the UK have been closed due to unsafe heat levels amid health concerns and worries over the safety of staff and customers in the stifling heat The bakery chain Greggs has closed 11 of its stores on Wednesday and Thursday over safety concerns amid the scorching heat. The safety of staff and customers was said to be a factor in the decision to close the stores, which have giant ovens in them. Employees at one shop in London said they had been moved to other branches after theirs was closed. “It's very hot. We have industrial ovens but no proper air conditioning in stores,” one worker told the BBC. Stores have been closed in: Aldridge, Wolverhampton, Luton, Gosport, Trowbridge, Barnet, Marlborough, Wantage, Dudley, Northampton and Leicester Square, London. The Mirror has contacted Greggs for a comment. The news comes as the heat has caused chaos across Britain with more than 1,000 schools closed amid safety concerns in the extreme heat. Meanwhile there has been transport chaos with railways taken out of action by the soaring temperatures and warnings not to travel unless absolutely necessary from operators. The RAC said it responded to 20% more callouts to broken-down vehicles than usual on Tuesday. Today the Met Office extended the rare red warning for extreme heat in place for Wednesday and Thursday down to the south coast of England, including Brighton, Bognor Regis, Portsmouth, Southampton, Bournemouth and Dorchester. The Met Office has issued another amber warning for heat for Friday, covering eastern and central England, as the exceptionally hot weather looks set to linger late into the week. The forecaster also said it may need to issue further updates on the extreme weather as more details on the conditions become clear. Grahame Madge, Met Office spokesman, said: “We have issued another amber warning for eastern and central England for Friday. As the forecast continues to evolve we may need to issue further updates once more detail becomes clear.” There have been calls from Liberal Democrat MPs for the Government to immediately open air-conditioned public buildings as “cool hubs” for vulnerable people during the heatwave. They said gyms, leisure centres, libraries and other buildings could offer relief for those particularly at risk from the extreme heat.