A discount retailer with stores in Chadwell Heath, Beckton and Romford has rolled out a weekly ‘quiet hour’ to help shoppers with autism.

All branches of Home Bargains will turn off music and tannoy systems every Saturday between 9am -10am, to create a calmer environment.

The tannoy systems will only be used to make urgent announcements.

Home Bargains has created the quiet hour with guidance from charity The National Autistic Society, which says that people who suffer from autism can find loud noises and sudden movements distressing.

Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, said: “We have created the quieter and calmer environment to enable all of our customers to have an enjoyable and relaxing shopping experience.

“We will continually assess where we can support each and every one of our weekly shoppers, whatever their situation.”

Tom Purser, head of campaigns at the National Autistic Society, added: “We are very pleased to hear that Home Bargains is introducing a quiet hour.

“We hear from autistic people and their families that shops and other public spaces can be challenging because of bright lights, strong smells and crowds or queues, all of which can cause them to feel overwhelmed.

“We hope more shops will be inspired by Home Bargains and do their bit to help make sure autistic people and their families have the same opportunities as everyone else.”