A retired doctor has said there is no physical reason why people should not be able to wear masks.

Dr Chris Barry, a former GP at Wroughton and Chiseldon, made the claims after visiting a store and someone was not wearing a mask.

He said the person carried an exemption certificate but Dr Barry believes this shouldn't be the case.

Government allows people not to wear a mask if they cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment, or disability.

They provide exemption card templates that do not need to specify why or be signed by a medical professional.

Dr Barry, who trained at Caius College Cambridge and qualified 50 years ago, said: “I don’t know if the Government has done this on any medical advice.

“In the medical journals I read I’ve not seen any mention anywhere of medical grounds for an exemption."

Here's what you said on Facebook:

Sam O'Donovan: "There is no excuse in Greece or any if the islands no mask you are fined . Its the same in Belgium too.

"They say if you can't wear one don't go out."

Rachel Mulholland: "Very difficult for people who are deaf and lip read."

Carrie Sopp: "What a very narrow minded man."

Virginia Stephens: "Why not face screen? If you can’t wear mask."

Kevin Smith: "But there’s also no benefit in wearing a mask 6 months into a pandemic we start wearing a mask yet are still seeing Covid cases.

"If they worked Covid would be vanishing right?"

Helen Ferris: "My mum's got chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma and she still manages to wear a mask ."

Andy Smith: "If you can’t wear a mask wear a visor with a head band. Simple.

"The deaf can lip read and people with issues breathing through a mask have a clear airway. Simple."

Bobbie Johnson: "My niece had facial injuries following a road accident and can’t swallow, 100 per cent cannot wear a mask. She’s also hemiplegic.

"Her physical disabilities make wearing a mask a physical impossibility.

"Chris Barry has lost the plot here and is wrong."

Jenna-Stephanie Collytte: "When the exempt thing came about. My partner said he doesn’t like the idea of wearing one and he is asthmatic. I said he should.

"Anyway, I called his doctor and said about it then doctor rang back and said after looking at his notes he’s better off wearing one then not, as if he was to catch this he would be in more trouble.

"He’s worn one since."

Katie Lois Newton: "My mum has had cancer in her lungs in the past which led to having a bit of one removed and she still wears one."

Maria Phillips: "I would definitely wear a mask if I had asthma, my sister has to wear one at work and she is asthmatic.

"I get awful chest infections so I have worn one in shops since the start.

"We saw an elderly man not wearing one in a shop, we have seen others get on buses, it’s stupid."

Suzie Carpenter-Jenkins: "I still wear a mask even though I'm genuinely medical exempt.

"Even if you do struggle with a mask there's no reason why you can't wear a face shield."

Colin Chapman: "Ok if they can’t wear a mask what’s stopping them wearing a face shield?"

Mandy Neate: "Apparently I've been told I'm exempt because I have a disability. Personally not sure why my disability warrants me not wearing one.

"The amount of people that ignore the two metre rule in shops does my nut in so thanks, I will continue to wear one."

Julia Reid: "I have lots of medical conditions which I could use not to wear one.

"However I wear one because I want us to beat Covid-19 and get back to as normal life as we all can."

Lorraine Bryan: "Dr Barry was an amazing doctor, very compassionate and caring. We are all entitled to an opinion, whether we agree or not."