Ever since face masks first became compulsory in shops and supermarkets across England on 24 July, they’ve been a contentious topic. But why? Stylist investigates. 

Updated 6 September: It may have been well over a month since face coverings became compulsory in all shops and supermarkets across England, but some people are still very much against the idea.

On Friday (4 September) a video of TalkRADIO host Mark Dolan went viral after he cut up his face mask live on air, claiming that getting rid of the masks would help the country get “back to normal” and could even “save lives”.