As the Prime Minister announced fresh restrictions for London and the south east of England to control the spread of Coronavirus, Met action will continue to focus on keeping London safe and enforcing the regulations.

Under the new rules, which will be introduced on Sunday, 20 December – you need to stay at home; households will not be permitted to meet over the Christmas period, unless a support bubble already exists.

At this critical moment for the city, officers across London will pay particular attention to those groups who have wilfully ignored the rules, putting communities and lives at risk.

Patrols will be prioritised in high footfall areas of the capital as well as those areas of London were the virus is spreading rapidly. Likewise, teams will continue to engage first, hoping to explain the rules to Londoners and how they can keep themselves and their families safe.

Commander Alex Murray, said: “I know Londoners will be deeply saddened by the news that the planned relaxation of the rules over the Christmas period has been scrapped. The news on the virus spread is stark and deeply concerning, and we must all now take immediate action to prevent the spread by staying at home and keeping ourselves safe.

“Across the city, officers will be deployed to take action against those people whose selfish action risks jeopardising the health of Londoners. Likewise, we will continue our joint enforcement with London’s 32 local authorities – clamping down on those businesses that also flout the rules and put health at risk.

“Our fight against the virus is not over. The rules are very clear and our collective actions in the next two weeks will have a direct impact on how quickly our city will recover. If people ignore these new rules, make reckless decisions that risk lives, I make no apology for the subsequent enforcement action that will follow.”