Drinkers hit bars and pubs across the country for one more weekend of freedom

Drinkers flocked to pubs and bars across Britain last night for a final weekend of freedom before the Government's tough new 'rule of six' comes into force next week. 

Revellers gathered in busy beer gardens in London, Manchester and Nottingham en masse on Friday ahead of the tightening of lockdown rules in the UK from Monday.

Under Boris Johnson's strict new measures, groups of more than six can be broken up by police who will be able to hand out £100 fines to those who flout the rules. This will double on each repeat offence up to £3,200

Only schools, workplaces and a limited number of other locations will be exempt. 

The latest measure introduced to tackle the spread of coronavirus comes as a Government-led study yesterday suggested the reproduction 'R' rate could be as high as 1.7 in England.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the spike in infections justifies the Government's new 'rule of six', warning people 'the pandemic is not over'. 

As hundreds of Britons enjoyed a final weekend of freedom, police bosses urged people to look after each other and avoid a 'party weekend' before the restrictions are implemented. 

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