Large gatherings 'unacceptable' as UK on 'knife edge' over second peak

The Home Secretary has hit out at the wave of "unacceptable" large gatherings taking place across the UK , warning: "This virus has not disappeared."

Priti Patel urged people not to attend gatherings, street parties and protests and to follow social distancing guidelines. It came as police in London were forced to break up two more illegal raves, after four nights of disruption.

Meanwhile, expert Sir Jeremy Farrar has warned that the UK is on a "knife edge" and that people must act "sensibly" over the next few months to avoid a second peak.

.Elsewhere, it was claimed today that ministers ignored warnings from police that lifting England's coronavirus lockdown would prompt disorder and lead to tourist hotspots being overrun. A major incident was declared last week after tens of thousands of people flocked to beaches along the south coast.