Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been giving more details about the forthcoming coronavirus restrictions that will come into force on Monday.

It was announced last night that social gatherings will be limited to a maximum of six people in all but a few exceptions.

The new 'rule of six', as it is being known, replaces the two previous rules of having gatherings limited to up to 30 people and for only two households to join together indoors.

It will be enforced by police, with those not complying risking a fine or even arrest.

However, 'Covid secure' venues such as places of worship, gyms, restaurants and other hospitality venues that have introduced social distancing measures will be allowed to have more than six people in total, although individual groups must be limited to a maximum of six.

Weddings and funerals judged to be 'Covid secure' will still be able to take place involving up to 30 people. 

Stricter fines will be introduced for hospitality venues that fail to ensure they are Covid secure and opening hours may be restricted in some locations.

Education and work settings remain unaffected.

Mr Johnson said: "These measures are not another national lockdown. The whole point of them is to avoid a second national lockdown.

"By bearing down on social contact we can keep schools and businesses open in the knowledge that they are Covid secure."

He also stressed that closing schools and colleges would now be "as a very, very last resort," adding: "The long term affect to children's life chances of not going to school are very significant and far great that the risks now of going back to school - far, far greater."

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty explained that the age group with the sharpest spike in the rate of new cases was the 20 to 29 age bracket, while the 70 to 79 and nought to nine age groups were very low.

When looking at positive test results of those tested, the highest age group was ten to 19, followed by 20 to 29.

And in the currently weekly incidents, the highest amount involved people aged 19 to 21 and 17 to 18.

Mr Johnson also revealed that the government was working hard on producing a test that would allow people to test themselves in the morning and, if negative, be able to interact in a "much more normal way."