Home Secretary Priti Patel said a minority of people are “putting the health of the nation at risk”, as she insisted the “rules are clear”.

It comes as UK police forces step up efforts to enforce lockdown restrictions across the country.

Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick said that laws will be enforced “more quickly”, and rule-breakers are more likely to be fined.

Some 32,000 Covid-related fines have been issued in England and Wales since March 2020, with a sharp increase in penalties recorded during England’s second lockdown in November. Report by Avagninag. Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/itn and follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/itn