Residents in Suffolk and north Essex have been clapping and cheering on their doorsteps every week as a touching tribute to NHS staff and key workers during the Covid-19 crisis.
The Clap for Carers movement has captured the imagination of the public and become something of a ritual every Thursday at 8pm, with streets filling with noise over the last few months.
Many NHS members of staff have spoken about how it has inspired them to continue to work hard treating Covid-19 patients.
However, Thursday night’s clap is set to be the last after the woman who sparked the idea, Annemarie Plas, called for the weekly event to stop.
Ms Plas, a Dutch national who lives in south London, said she is fearing the movement is becoming too political after it has been held religiously over the last ten weeks.
She said: “To have the most impact I think it is good to stop it at its peak.
“Without getting too political, I share some of the opinions that some people have about it becoming politicised.
“I think the narrative is starting to change and I don’t want the clap to be negative.”
•Share your pictures of Clap for Carers at newsdesk@archant.co.uk
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