Construction workers should be labelled "essential workers" in order to legitimise them travelling to work, industry leaders have told government.

Their call follows hostility toward some construction staff, particularly on social media, for going to work, despite the fact the government has asked them continue working where safe to do so. A number of firms have resorted to providing their staff with letters explaining they are required to work which they can present if questioned.

Details of the request to ministers were published in a daily coronavirus update from an industry trade body which said: "Build UK and others called on the government to designate construction workers as ‘essential workers’, in order to reassure everyone that they had permission to leave their homes to go to work."

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