Boris Johnson has said there is a “good chance” the one-metre plus social distancing rule can be scrapped from 21 June. During a campaign visit in Hartlepool, the prime minister told reporters: “I think we’ve got a good chance, a good chance, of being able to dispense with one-metre plus.” Under the government’s roadmap for
UK
The legal limit on the number of mourners at funerals will be lifted on 17 May, the government has confirmed. At the moment only 30 people are allowed to attend because of coronavirus restrictions. But under the government’s roadmap for reopening, the size of the group will depend on how many people can be accommodated
Angry Manchester United fans are staging a protest against the club’s owners after getting inside their Old Trafford stadium. Supporters had gathered outside to demonstrate ahead of Liverpool’s visit this afternoon following the club’s failed attempt to join the controversial European Super League. Fans were also earlier seen letting off flares and blocking the entrance
Four children have been taken to hospital after suffering a “violent reaction” from eating sweets believed to contain cannabis, police have said. Officers were called to a parade of shops on Pound Lane, Epsom, at 2.15pm on Saturday, and found three children vomiting uncontrollably and falling in and out of consciousness. The 12-year-old girl, 12-year-old
Police have said they have received a third party report relating to claims of sexual offences committed by a male, after allegations were made against the actor Noel Clarke. In a statement, the Met Police said: “On Wednesday 21 April police received a third party report relating to allegations of sexual offences committed by a
ITV has said it will not air the final episode of its drama show Viewpoint on Friday evening following allegations of sexual harassment made against star Noel Clarke. A spokesperson for ITV said it had decided it was “no longer appropriate” to show the episode after 20 women made claims to The Guardian. “ITV has
Boris Johnson’s mobile phone number has been freely available on the internet for the past 15 years. The number was listed at the bottom of a news release issued when Mr Johnson was shadow higher education minister in 2006. The document, which encouraged journalists to contact him on a Commons office number or his mobile,
Heathrow’s chief executive has said he is “deeply concerned” the UK’s Border Force will not be able to cope with additional COVID checks if all foreign travel resumes from 17 May. John Holland-Kaye told Sky News the Home Office and UK Border Force “need to get a grip” on the checks or change the system
The UK is “at or close to the bottom” of coronavirus case levels, according to England’s deputy chief medical officer who praised the public for sticking to lockdown measures. Speaking at a Downing Street COVID briefing, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said: “We are really in very low levels that are comparable to where we were in
The UK has secured an extra 60 million Pfizer vaccine doses with a view to rolling them out as part of a booster campaign in the autumn, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. Officials have been planning for the possibility of having to boost vaccine protection for the population before the winter. So far, almost
Almost a quarter of people using NHS mental health services remotely said their mental health deteriorated as a result. Mental health charity Mind surveyed almost 2,000 people about their experiences of accessing mental health treatment via phone or online during the pandemic. Some 35% said they found the service difficult to use and 23% said
Coronavirus vaccines are now being offered to people aged 42 and over in England. It is the second time this week that the vaccine booking system was extended to more people in their forties, after they were offered to those aged 44 and over yesterday. Now, people aged 42 and over, or those who will
Every single fine issued by the police to people deemed to be breaking COVID-19 restrictions must be reviewed amid concerns they are “discriminatory and unfair”, a committee of MPs and peers has said. Since March 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic initially took hold, more than 85,000 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) have been handed to people
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has been sentenced to another year in prison on charges of “propaganda activities against the regime” in Iran, according to reports. The UK-Iranian national is also banned from leaving the country for one year, her lawyer Hojjat Kermani told Emtedad news website. “Nazanin Zaghari was sentenced to one year in prison and one
The sister of a six-year-old boy who suffered a fractured skull after being hit by an e-scooter rider has called for a ban on the devices for under-21s. It comes as latest figures show more than 70 people have been injured during the government’s e-scooter trials – including 11 people who were seriously hurt. Brooklyn
Restrictions are easing in Scotland and Wales today, with retail and hospitality the main sectors to benefit. In Scotland, which moves from Level 4 to Level 3 of its five tiers of restrictions, cafes, restaurants, and beer gardens can open, along with non-essential shops, gyms, swimming pools, libraries, galleries and museums. Hospitality will have to