Christina and Rob are reunited with their little ones after ten weeks in lockdown

There were hugs, kisses ... and tears when colleagues Christina Greaves and Rob Peggs were reunited with their little ones after spending ten weeks apart during the lockdown.

Christina, who's bakery section leader at our Middlesbrough store, and home shopping driver Rob decided that due to their keyworker roles it would be safer for their three-year-old son George and Christina's son Thomas, who's nine, to live elsewhere until the situation eased.

So Thomas went to live with his dad Andy, 30 miles in Newton Aycliffe, while George moved in with his grandparents Patricia and Dave, who live just around the corner.

Christina, who's worked for Asda for eight years – the last two at our Middlesbrough store – says it's been a tough ten weeks, but they felt they had to protect the youngsters.

She said: "There's been many, many tears – and lots of cuddles! The longest I've ever been away from my eldest was two weeks when he went on holiday with his dad. I've never spent any time away from George at all. But we just had to get on with it.

"There's been a fair few tears at work, but my manager has been absolutely fantastic. He knew when I needed to be left alone and have a little cry round the back. He's been really good. We have a fantastic team here. We are very close-knit, always helping each other out, whether it be inside work or out.

"We knew there was going to be a light at the end of the tunnel and we were going to see them eventually. You just had to keep going. There was no other option.

"We called round to see my youngest and we stood back from the doorstep but he found it very difficult. He couldn't understand why he couldn't give mum and dad a cuddle. We explained that there were germs in the house and mummy and daddy could have germs and that was why he couldn't cuddle us or come near us. It was heartbreaking."

"Thomas had a bit more understanding about what's been going on and we FaceTimed a lot. I don't know know what we would have done without it."

Christina said they decided to bring the children home after lockdown restrictions began to ease and infection rates for the Middlesbrough area had gone down.

She said: "We had just been playing it by ear really. I'd been looking at the infection rates for the local area and that was what I was going with. It had dropped to around two or three a day, so with it being such low numbers I decided it was safe for us to bring them home.

"I picked my eldest up first and then went round to pick up my youngest. It was a fantastic feeling!"

Christina says George has been particularly spoiled by his grandparents.

She said: "He is the apple of his grandmother's eye – he can't do no wrong. He alway sleeps in her bed when she stops there. Her husband's been in the back bedroom for the past ten weeks!"

Rob, who also works as a taxi driver, took a temporary job as a home shopping driver back in March and that's just been made into a permanent position.

Asda Middlesbrough store manager Steve McKeena says colleagues are very proud of them both.

He said: "It was an extremely brave and emotionally charged decision to isolate themselves from their kids to protect them from any infection.

"It just shows the commitment and bravery of our colleagues. It's things like that which make me proud to work for Asda and have Christina and Rob as our colleagues."