Boris Johnson has backed calls from a Dartford MP to do their "patriotic best for Britain" and head to the pubs when they reopen.

It follows the Prime Minister's announcement on Tuesday to reduce social-distancing to one metre from July 4 to allow pubs and restaurants to serve more customers.

Speaking in the Commons, Tory MP for Dartford Gareth Johnson said: "Going to the pub is a great British institution and vital if we want to get our economy back on track.

"Would the Prime Minister therefore join me in calling on people from July 4 to do their patriotic best for Britain and go to the pub?"

Boris Johnson responded to say he would be encouraging people to take advantage of the "freedoms that they are rightly reacquiring".

"I know that that is where the public are, "he said. "I know that is what people want to see."

He added: "Yes I want to see people out in the shops - it is a fantastic thing to see; yes I want to see people taking advantage of hospitality again, a wonderful thing."

But he hastened to add people must do so in a "responsible way" and while observing the social distancing rules.

The Prime Minister warned the government would not hesitate to "put on the brakes" if they were to see a resurgence of the virus.

Pub owners in the Medway Towns have reacted to the announcement with cautious optimism .

Jamie Clark, co-owner of The Dead Pigeon pub in Rochester praised the announcement, believing it might not have been worth reopening without a relaxing of the two-metre rule.

Meanwhile in Gareth Johnson's Dartford constituency a local boozer is expecting the pub scene to look quite different.

The co-owners of the Malt Shovel in Darenth Road posted on their Facebook channel: "Things are likely to be a bit unusual to start with.

"There will very likely be space restrictions in order to maintain social distancing, and we may need, for example, table allocation on arrival, ordering via phone apps, and table service."

I went on to add it might be necessary for the venue and others to take down customer's details "to help identify future spikes should they occur".