FACE coverings have been made mandatory in shops and supermarkets in England as the Government looks to control the spread of coronavirus.

In a statement on Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said anyone failing to comply with the order, which comes into force on July 24, could face a £100 fine.

The move follows a weekend of confusion over whether ministers intended to make face coverings compulsory after Boris Johnson said they were looking at “stricter” rules.

The senior Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Sunday he did not believe they should be mandatory and that it was better to “trust people’s common sense”.

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However, during a visit to the London Ambulance Service on Monday, the Prime Minister offered the clearest signal he was going down the route of compulsion, saying the Government was looking at the “tools of enforcement”.

Ahead of Tuesday’s announcement by Mr Hancock, a No 10 spokesman said: “There is growing evidence that wearing a face covering in an enclosed space helps protect individuals and those around them from coronavirus.

“The Prime Minister has been clear that people should be wearing face coverings in shops and we will make this mandatory from July 24.”

The move will bring England into line with Scotland, where face coverings are already mandatory in shops.