COMMUNITY leaders have paid tribute to a worker at a major supermarket who died with Covid-19.

The unnamed man was an employee of the Tesco Extra in Maryhill and had contracted coronavirus.

Bob Doris, the SNP MSP for Maryhill and Springburn led tributes to the key worker, who is understood to have been in his early sixties.

Mr Doris reached out to bosses at the North Glasgow supermarket, to pass on his sympathies to the man’s grieving family.

He said: “This tragic death vividly shows the risks that supermarket staff face in supporting us all to get access to essential items.

“I met with Tesco recently who offered a series of reassurances over how they seek to protect both staff and customers. This of course will be of little comfort to the family.

“I also extend my sympathies to his fellow Tesco staff. They will have not only lost a colleague but also a friend.”

Franny Scally, a Maryhill councillor, said: “It’s a very sad loss to all his colleagues but more importantly, for his family.

“The saddest part is, he’s not alone, thousands of people have died from this horrible virus.”

A council colleague, Jane Morgan, said she was “very sorry to hear” of the man’s death.

Ms Morgan added: “Tesco workers have continued to provide a cheerful service throughout the pandemic.

“Deaths in our local community bring home the reality of the awful total numbers which we are seeing. I do hope that everyone in Maryhill will take the vaccine.”

A number of workers at the store have tested positive for the virus but the company have refused to confirm the number of staff affected.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said: “A very small number of colleagues at our Glasgow Maryhill store have tested positive for Covid-19.

“Their close contacts have been informed. The safety of our colleagues, customers and suppliers remains our number one priority and we are working with local public health authorities, following all government guidance and taking the relevant precautions.

“We have extensive measures across all of our stores to help keep everyone safe, including protective screens at every checkout, social distancing signage and regular cleaning.”

Our sister title, the Greenock Telegraph, reported earlier in the month the sad news that two members of staff at the company’s Port Glasgow branch had died after contracting the virus.