PURE GYM has suspended all payments from customers as the chain temporarily closed each of their centres due to the coronavirus pandemic.

People signed up to the gym, which has a site at the Deva Retail Centre in Chester, will not be charged for as long as the closure is in place.

A statement from PureGym said: “Following Government instruction, we have temporarily closed our gyms. You won’t pay while your gym is closed.

“We have automatically stopped your payments so there is nothing for you to do. When your gym is back open, we will credit your first payment with any outstanding amount from your current monthly subscription.

“If your next payment is due in the next few days this may already have been sent for by your bank.

“We will therefore credit your 1st monthly payment with this amount in full when we reopen. For any member on a fixed term membership, we will extend the length of your membership by the amount we are closed.

“We're still here to help our members. That’s why next week we will be bringing you PureGym Home; an exciting range of workouts, on-demand classes, and ideas for nutrition and wellbeing through our app.

“We would like to thank each and every one of our members for your support and we look forward to welcoming you back in our gyms soon.”

Saffron Blake, a Chester University student who only signed up to PureGym this month, said: "It's the right decision to close the gyms because they are the worst places for the virus to spread as everyone handles the same equipment.

"All it would have taken was one ill person to infect everyone else who uses the same equipment until it's next cleaned. It's also right that they have stopped charging people because if the facilities aren't being provided, people shouldn't be charged."

The decision to close PureGym, which prides itself on its 24 hour, seven days a week opening hours, came as part of the government's decision to close all pubs, clubs, restaurants and gyms.