Lidl and Tesco are giving away free bunches of flowers to NHS workers for Mother's Day

Since the coronavirus outbreak began, NHS workers have been praised for keeping the country safe.

Now, Lidl have announced they are giving free bunches of flowers to NHS workers to “show our thanks” to them on Mother’s Day.

According to Metro.co.uk, the supermarket has teamed up with platform Neighbourly to distribute bouquets to community groups around the UK.

Blooms will also be handed out to staff as they clock off from shifts at Northampton General Hospital and Kettering General Hospital.

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Lidl have revealed their hope that the flowers will serve as a token of “appreciation” to doctors, nurses and other medical staff working “tirelessly” during the pandemic.

Ryan McDonnell, chief commercial director at Lidl GB, said: “This Mother’s Day, we wanted to redistribute this surplus supply and show our thanks and appreciation to those working tirelessly through these extraordinary times.

“We hope that our beautiful bunches will help raise the spirits of those who receive them.”

The supermarket is also one of a number of businesses - including Aldi, Marks & Spencer and Coca-Cola - to partner with Neighbourly to provide a £500,000 “community support fund” to help “existing good causes” during the outbreak.

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Tesco also gave away free flowers during its one-hour slot for NHS workers - which was the first 60 minutes of Sunday trading - this morning.

In a post on Twitter, one customer praised the supermarket for the initiative, thanking them for the “lovely appreciation”.

Another, a pharmacist, tweeted that their act of kindness had caused “lots of teary faces but also lots of smiles”.

A third added that she was “feeling the love this morning”.

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The supermarket told The Sun that the gesture had been taking place at stores around the UK, but did not confirm if it was a country-wide initiative.

Last night, Boris Johnson warned people not to make trips to visit their parents on Mother’s Day in order to contain the outbreak.

The Prime Minister said that while “everyone’s strongest instinct” was to visit their mum “the best thing is to ring her, video call her, Skype her, but to avoid any unnecessary physical contact or proximity”.

He added: “And why? Because if your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus, or Covid-19.

“We cannot disguise or sugar coat the threat.”

It comes as the foods being ignored by the UK’s panic buyers have been revealed.

They include Loyd Grossman’s pasta sauces and Uncle Ben’s rices, as well as oat milk and other non-dairy alternatives.