Sainsbury’s will ditch the face mask rule when all legal lockdown restrictions are scrapped when stage four of Boris Johnson’s roadmap goes ahead.

The Prime Minister has gambled on trusting the public’s judgment and the protection offered by vaccines as he scrapped mandatory mask-wearing and lifted social distancing requirements.

The so-called “freedom day” is expected on July 19, with a decision on whether or not to go ahead being taken a week earlier.

He said the country will have to start “living with Covid” and confirmed that all legal coronavirus restrictions including mask-wearing, social distancing and nightclub closures will end at Step 4 of the Government’s plan to ease England’s lockdown

And the supermarket chain has followed Mr Johnson’s lead in saying staff and customers will be allowed to make their own choice when it comes to wearing a face mask.

Sainsbury’s become the first supermarket to announce a change to its face mask policy in the wake of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street press conference.

Simon Roberts, the chief executive of Sainsbury's, said: “I think in the end it will come down to the choices that individual customers and colleagues want to make.

“It is going to be driven by customer and by colleague choice.

“We’re clearly going to follow the government advice, we’ll continue to listen to our customers and colleagues and we”ll respect and support the individual choices the customers and colleagues want to make.”

Decision to wear face mask has divided opinion since the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday and it was no different for Sainsbury’s customers.

With cases still on the rise, some have even implored the company to keep face mask rules in place to help keep people safe.

Sajid Javid has said he plans to carry a mask “for the foreseeable future” after the Government announced their use would become voluntary at the next stage of the road map.

The Health Secretary said it was a “responsible thing for anyone to do” as he confirmed he would continue to wear a face covering in certain situations in public.

Experts remained divided on the issue, but the Health Secretary said it marks a move towards individuals exercising personal responsibility rather than laws regulating how they live their lives during the pandemic.

Mr Javid told Sky News: “For the foreseeable future I will be carrying a face mask with me, I think that’s a very responsible thing for anyone to do. As I have said, the pandemic is not over.

“If I’m in a crowded or enclosed space, I will wear a face mask. In fact I will wear one if I was next to someone or near someone that felt uncomfortable with others not wearing face masks.

“And that’s what I mean by personality responsibility.”