The discount variety retailer, which is owned by TJX, is understood to be closing its 349 TK Maxx stores after end of trading today, as well as stablemate Homesense’s 78 stores across the UK and Ireland, until further notice.

The decision to shutter UK stores is the latest move by the retailer to mitigate the spread of coronavirus across its global store estate, having closed its stores across Germany, Poland, Austria and the Netherlands over the last week.