Sainsbury’s has been heavily criticised on Facebook for keeping a store open following the death of a 46-year-old woman in the car park.

Janet Doidge was killed on Sunday afternoon after being hit by a car outside its store in Balderton, Nottinghamshire.

Dozens of locals condemned its decision to stay open after the accident via Facebook.

In a statement, Sainsbury’s said: “Our deepest sympathies go out to the lady’s family and friends. This is a terrible tragedy and we are supporting the police with their inquiries.

“We recognise that some people felt the store should have closed sooner and stress that the decision was not taken lightly and was based on the information we had at the time. We are always guided by the emergency services in situations such as this.”

The driver involved has since been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and causing death by dangerous driving.