Why can't supermarkets make people wear face masks in-store? & the CPS's first black male chief prosecutor gets to work

Despite the law making it mandatory, it's not uncommon to find people wandering around supermarkets without wearing a face mask. Now the big store bosses are being summoned to a meeting with government officials and the police to discuss why. An agenda for the meeting seen by the Evening Standard says it will be an  attempt to find ways to “collectively promote compliance” with the rules. Our city editor, Jim Armitage, tells us retailers say they don't have the powers to "put shoppers in a half nelson and march them out the store" if they don't wear a mask. But as the sector is one of the few making large profits during the pandemic, some are asking if shops are putting profits before safety? 

Also, the first black male chief crown prosecutor in the Crown Prosecution Service’s history has told the Evening Standard he does not want to be perceived as a “poster boy” and is vowing to bring about real change. Lionel Idan, whose team convicted two of Stephen Lawrence’s racist killers in 2012, grew up in Ghana where his father lectured in art and literature. He's spoken to our crime correspondent Anthony France, who says the appointment comes not a moment too soon amid calls for compulsory anti-racism training at every level of our legal system.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.