Costa confirms drive-thru services for 'key workers' after hundreds queue up for Wakefield store reopening

It comes after dozens of drivers were seen queuing to take advantage of Wakefield's Snowhill store, which reopened for drive-thru and delivery on Saturday.

It was one of 29 stores to reopen after more than a month of closure.

One eyewitness said he had queued for 10 minutes to access the car park, which also serves Iceland, Aldi and Poundland customers.

But in a series of Tweets posted on Sunday afternoon, the popular coffee chain said that the drive-thru services were intended for key workers on essential journeys only.

Other customers are encouraged to order coffee for delivery, as part of the UK's ongoing lockdown to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Replying to a customer who said that the reopening of stores had "encouraged people to make unnecessary journeys", they said: "Hey Nicola, our number one priority is the safety of our store teams and customers.

"In line with the re-opening of a small number of drive-thru lanes and delivery stores this weekend, we’ve ensured strict measures have been put in place aligned to Government guidelines.

"We’d like to reinforce that our-drive thru lanes are open to offer key workers the chance to enjoy a Costa on essential journeys, whilst our delivery stores allow customers the opportunity to order a Costa from the comfort of their own home."