The grocer said full-time staff will earn a £1,050 bonus, compared with the £350 average last year, to recognise “the huge effort by its colleagues who are helping to feed the nation during the coronavirus outbreak”.

The retailer said this represented a 6% bonus on earnings and that, as it would be paid as a percentage of the entire year’s pay, frontline staff would receive the largest special bonus of all those announced in the last few weeks by the supermarket sector.

Morrisons said staff currently off sick or self-isolating because of the virus would still be eligible. The bonus will be paid quarterly