Nicola Sturgeon considering crackdown on takeaways in Scotland

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned her government could bring in new curbs on fast-food takeaways.

The SNP leader said her cabinet will discuss even stricter lockdown restrictions in a bid to control rising coronavirus cases when they meet on Tuesday morning.

Ms Sturgeon said at her latest Covid briefing that her ministers would consider whether “further restrictions on takeaways” were needed. “Do we have to tighten up to reduce the number of people that are moving around any further?”

Scotland’s national clinical director Jason Leitch said the Holyrood cabinet would also discuss whether to ban some forms of click-and-collect services and “non-essential” construction so more workers could stay at home.

“We’re looking at maybe some things like [defining] essential and non-essential construction, maybe click-and collect for non-essential items [and] should all the takeaways be open,” he told BBC Breakfast.

In a joint letter to the Scottish government, retail groups expressed frustration at the “sudden and unexpected pronouncement” that restrictions could be imposed on some click-and-collect services so soon after the latest changes. They describe click and collect services as a “lifeline” for struggling businesses.

At Westminster, the former Conservative health minister Steve Brine has called for an end for some takeaways in England – including coffee.

“There are so many things that we are doing, which are allowed in the rules ... but I just don't think they are wise right now,” the Tory MP told BBC Newsnight. “We need to stop the coffee culture for a few weeks in this country – there’s clustering around kiosks selling coffee.”

Confusion remains over whether people are allowed to sit and drink a takeaway coffee on a park bench when they go out for exercise during the third lockdown.

Asked on Monday whether it was within the rules for a single person to make a coffee break part of their walk, a No 10 spokesman told: “Let me take that one away and come back to you, on the … park bench question.”

Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon also issued a warning to Scotland’s top football clubs not to “abuse” the privileges they are given while the rest of the country remains in lockdown.

It follows Celtic FC’s controversial training camp trip to Dubai, after which one player one tested positive for Covid-19 and forced 13 members of the squad into self-isolation.

Ms Sturgeon said she had doubts as to whether Celtic’s trip “was really essential” – adding that she felt “disappointed and frustrated” that her coronavirus briefings were being “dominated by football”.

Scottish football below the Championship level was suspended for three weeks on Monday following a meeting between the Scottish FA and Ms Sturgeon’s minister for sport Mairi Gougeon.

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