Shops to close in respect

Thousands of stores and supermarkets will close for business as a mark of respect for the Queen Mother.

Supermarket chain Asda and the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose stores, confirmed that they will shut outlets on the morning of the funeral, next Tuesday.

Many others are expected to follow.

Millions of people are expected to observe the two-minute silence at the start of the funeral service at Westminster Abbey at 11.30am.

Some food chains will insist the two-minute silence be observed in their shops. Chairman of the John Lewis Partnership, Sir Stuart Hampson, said: "Our decision is very much in response to the wishes and feelings of our partners and we sense that our customers will consider it a fitting arrangement too.

"It is also particularly appropriate as two of our department stores as well as Waitrose, our supermarket chain, hold Royal Warrants from the late Queen Mother.

"She was a very special customer," he said. The John Lewis Partnership said it 26 department stores will be closed on the day of the funeral until 1pm and its 136 Waitrose supermarkets will open after 2pm.

An Asda spokeswoman said: "Every one of our 252 stores will be closed from 10.30am to 1pm so our 120,000 staff can pay their final respects. A lot of staff want to watch the service and trying to observe the two-minute silence with customers in the stores would make that difficult."

Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury's, Dixons, WH Smith, Safeway and the Woolworth chain have confirmed they will hold a two-minute silence. Tesco, Dixons and Currys will make a decision today.

Government departments and British businesses are also making plans to honour the Queen Mother, who died on Saturday aged 101.

Announcements will be made at Tube and train stations at the start of the two-minute silence.

Trains due to leave at 11.30am will be delayed two minutes.

Buses are expected to stop too, if it is safe for them to pull off the road.

The Queen Mother in pictures