Downing Street denies London lockdown plans

Downing Street has sought to quash expectations of a severe lockdown on London after reports suggested restrictions could be placed on civil liberties in the city from Friday.

The prime minister's official spokesman said there was "zero prospect" of restrictions on travel in and out of London because of the Covid-19 pandemic and that there were no plans to shut the transport network, Sky News said.

Reports in government-friendly newspapers overnight said the government was preparing getting ready to close premises and restrict or ban events and gatherings in London. Planned legislation was said to include blocking Londoners from leaving their homes unless they are going to work, the supermarket or pharmacy.

The prime minister's spokesman said on Thursday there would be no limits on people leaving their homes but did not rule out further restrictions on bars, restaurants and non-food shopping. He also said there was no intention to use troops to stamp out disorder.

The rush to clarify the government's position is likely to fuel criticism of the its communications about the coronavirus crisis. Johnson adopted daily updates after selective anonymous briefings led to confusion over whether the government was prioritising "herd immunity" over saving lives in the short term.

Transport for London announced the closure of up to 40 tube stations on Thursday – a move that was seen as an early sign of restrictions in the city. The closure of stations with no interchange included Borough, Barbican, Covent Garden, Goodge Street and Hampstead.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson also fanned speculation about an imminent lockdown on Thursday by saying Prime Minister Boris Johnson was prepared to take whatever tough decisions were necessary to limit the virus's spread.

Johnson is due to hold his daily coronavirus news conference at about 17:00 GM on Thursday. He failed to rule out a London lockdown at his Wednesday briefing, fuelling speculation that severe restrictions were in the pipeline.

Infections are spreading much more quickly in London than the rest of the country but bars are still busy despite pleas for people not to mingle.

Asked about reports of a London lockdown, Williamson said there were no imminent plans but the government has changed course rapidly in response to events. Some reports also suggested the government wanted to give minimal notice before introducing the measures.

Williamson said: "As has been demonstrated by the unprecedented move that we made yesterday in terms of closing schools, scrapping exams and all forms of other assessment, we will take the incredibly tough decisions that are sometimes needed in order to ensure the safety of the population."