Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said there is a chance that some areas of England could move down a tier before Christmas.

He told BBC Breakfast: "There will be a meaning review on or around December 16. At that point we will review the evidence against those five tests for every local authority area in the country.

"We will listen to the views of the local councils and their directors of public health.

"There are a number of places which are quite finely balanced in the country today where there was a strong case to be in a tier one degree lower than where they ended up, but on a balanced judgment they are in a tier up.

"In those places and perhaps others in the country, if people do follow the rules and if we do make the tiered system work, there is every reason to believe that they could de-escalate and go down a tier in time for Christmas."

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