Gary Lineker has issued a public apology after being photographed in a shop while not wearing a face covering. 

The Match Of The Day presenter said he felt “awful and embarrassed” after forgetting to put a mask on during a visit to a Marks & Spencer Food Hall in London over the weekend. 

After the photographs of him were published in the press, Gary took to Twitter to address the matter, insisting he had corrected his mistake as soon as he realised. 

He tweeted: “In my old age, I went into a store and forgot to put my mask on. Was wondering why people were giving me daggers.

“Realised after a couple of minutes and hastily put it on. Felt awful and embarrassed.”

“Apologies to those present.”

Gary has been a vocal supporter of the need for face masks, even prior to the government making them a requirement in a number of public spaces in a bid to stop the spread of coronavirus earlier this year.  

After the photos of Gary were later discussed on TalkRadio on Tuesday, Gary retweeted a video of the item, reiterating: “I forgot briefly to put my mask on, but did so immediately that my mistake registered and I’ve apologised.”