The well-known Glebe Street shop Jo's Organics has taken an anti-lockdown stance and refuses to adhere to or enforce social distancing rules.

At the time of writing, COVID-19 has been linked to the deaths of 82,624 people in the UK.

Jo Shah, who founded the organic produce shop in 1999, does not wear a mask herself and says she will not ask customers to wear one.

Her shop window is adorned by various anti-lockdown quotes and slogans. One of which, an Albert Camus quote, reads: "The welfare of humanity is always the alibi of tyrants."

Mrs Shah says she is "encouraging people to think for themselves."

Although historically a Labour voter, Mrs Shah is highly critical of the Welsh Government's handling of COVID-19. She says she "could not be more sceptical" about the reasons behind imposing lockdown.

"This whole thing has made me think about things in a different way: Governments, the way they rule us, propaganda, the mainstream media - all of it," she told Nub News.

"It's about scaring and terrifying people. Why would they want to do that? I have my ideas, but don't want to go down that rabbit hole."

Mrs Shah then alluded to a global banking conspiracy, saying: "There is something going on in the banking system. While we're looking this way, what's going on over there?"

Despite being an avowed anti-vaxxer, Mrs Shah rejected the conspiracy theorist label.

"Since when was it wrong to have a different opinion? To question things isn't being a conspiracy theorist.

"I'm a small grocer. All I want to do is sell organic food. I did not open a shop to police people wearing masks. We're uncomfortable with doing that."

On the wearing of masks, Mrs Shah said:

"I think when you are unwell and coughing and sneezing you stay away from people - which has always been the case. All viruses have asymptomatic carriers. That's not a new thing.

"My attitude is if I'm standing here for seven hours I'm not going to wear one because it makes me anxious and I find it hard to breathe. If people don't like that, they don't come in. And I know from experience that plenty of people are comfortable.

"I have complete faith in my immune system. If I get it, I get it."

The UK Government, in line with WHO guidance, has made the wearing of face masks mandatory. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) says masks reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Mrs Shah is convinced that the measures adopted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have proved more damaging than the disease itself.

"Some people have been very unwell, but there are 66.5 million people in Britain. They say 70,000 have died. Even if we say 100,000, that leaves 66.4 million of us.

"They're having their education taken away from them, they're isolated. A friend of mine committed suicide in November. That was heartbreaking."

The Jo's Organic Facebook page is beginning to attract some negative reviews as a result of the posters hanging in her window. In spite of this, she says that adopting her position has correlated with an increase in footfall.

"It's been so fantastic to see our customers again because they are free-thinking individuals questioning what we're being told. Yes, there is a virus out there. But society has lived with flus and viruses forever. This is about fear."

Click here for the latest Welsh Government COVID-19 guidelines.