17.5m in local lockdown – and London could be next

MORE than a quarter of Britain is set to be living under local lockdowns after a swathe of new restrictions were imposed last night – with London also at risk.

Fresh rules are to be brought in across Leeds, the North West of England and South Wales. That means around 17.5million Britons will be living in areas which restrict them from meeting other households.

But that figure is likely to soar in the coming weeks after London was placed on the Government’s watchlist following a surge in hospital admissions.

The capital could be subjected to lockdown restrictions early next month if cases keep rising.

Assuming measures were introduced across the entire capital, the total number of people living under lockdowns would grow to 26.5million, about 40 per cent of the population.

Yesterday London mayor Sadiq Khan urged ministers to ban household visits

‘Our economy would completely collapse’

for all the capital’s nine million residents.

He claimed problems with the testing system – run by Tory peer Dido Harding – was masking the true extent of the virus adding: ‘If you go too late, we will already be in a North East, North West, Birmingham-type situation.

‘You’ve got to go early, particularly in the absence of testing.’

But ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: ‘Shutting down London would be an utter disaster; our economy would completely collapse.’

Last night Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced new restrictions for Leeds, Stockport, Wigan and Blackpool which ban households from mixing.

Officials say it is unlikely that London will have any restrictions imposed next week as infection rates are still significantly behind those in the North West of England, North East and Birmingham.