Harrow Council said it is “prepared” for any potential flood of people to its town centres on the first weekend since the wider reopening of high streets in the borough.

Cllr Varsha Parmar, responsible for the environment at Harrow Council, noted that measures put in place at the start of the week will continue as many shops get used to the restart.

These include barriers, signage, and floor markings to encourage social distancing measures.

Many people descended on Harrow town centre on Monday (June 15) as the Government allowed non-essential shops to reopen their doors to the public.

There were “prominent queues” outside Primark and Sports Direct, but the council was satisfied that these were managed well.

Cllr Parmar said: “We’ve supported businesses on how to prepare and advising them what to do.

“Overall, it has gone well and any issues that arose have been resolved.

“The first day was very busy – things have calmed down a little, but we are prepared for any rush at the weekend.”

As well as maintaining the social distancing measures for the foreseeable future, Cllr Parmar explained that pavement-widening measures would be put in place to promote walking and cycling.

This will be developed using funding from Transport for London as part of wider initiatives across the capital to encourage active travel as lockdown measures ease.

There are also discussions with those in the hospitality sector about how outdoor tables and chairs could be used to ensure a successful reopening in July.