Social gatherings of more than six people are to be banned in England in an attempt to control the spread of coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to announce the new measures at a press conference tomorrow. They will take effect from Monday.

The ban will apply to both indoor and outdoor gatherings, including pubs, private homes and restaurants.

People will still be allowed to gather in groups larger than six for work or education.

Failure to comply could see offenders fined £100, doubling for each repeat offence up to £3,200.

Mr Johnson said: "We need to act now to stop the virus spreading. So we are simplifying the rules on social contact - making them easier to understand and for the police to enforce."

He added it was 'absolutely critical that people now abide by these rules.'

The change applies to England only, to people of all ages, and to gatherings indoors and outdoors, in private homes, public outdoor spaces, and venues such as pubs and restaurants.

No 10 said any group of seven or more people gathering anywhere "risks being dispersed by police or fined for non-compliance".

The news comes amid a chaotic return to school for hundreds of Kent schoolchildren, with hundreds in Sittingbourne alone in quarantine after a number of cases.

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