tonight at ten: a series of strict measures announced by ministers prolonging the lockdown in the city of leicester. the city, which has recorded a surge in coronavirus cases, will see all schools for most pupils closed from thursday, and all—non—essential shops closed from tomorrow. i know this is a worrying time for people living in leicester and i wa nt i know this is a worrying time for people living in leicester and i want you to know you have our full support. we do not take these decisions lightly but with interests of the people of leicester our hearts. leicester has accounted for 10% of new coronavirus cases in the uk in the past week, but the city's mayor says they're being singled out. to be honest with you, the statistics, while they do show issues in leicester,

they do not show ones that are so dramatic that we should be singled out. we'll have the latest on the measures announced in the past hour — and we'll be asking if other towns or cities could follow. also tonight... parents in england could be fined if they refuse to send their children back to school by september. the latest detailed analysis of covid deaths reveals that the uk — and england especially — have fared worse than similar countries. we talk to some of the three million self—employed workers who've not been able to get state support during lockdown. people like me are really, really suffering, and there's a limit to how savings and borrowing and this, that and the other are going to get us by. and as museums prepare to reopen, new questions are raised about collections, and their links with the imperial past. and in the sport on bbc news, increasing the number of black, asian and minority ethnic coaches — football launches

its plan for change. good evening. the city of leicester, with its 340,000 inhabitants, will not be allowed to ease lockdown restrictions on july fourth unlike the rest of england. the decision follows a surge in cases of coronavirus in the area, with over 800 reported in the fortnight tojune 23rd. the series of strict measures, outlined in the house of commons this evening by the health secretary matt hancock, include the closure of all schools for most pupils in leicester from thursday. from tomorrow, nonessential shops will also close. and all but essential travel to and from the city is to be avoided. mr hancock said the government would keep all measures under review and won't keep them in place longer than necessary.

with the latest, here's our health editor hugh pym. leicester city centre tonight. pubs and leicester city centre tonight. pubs a nd restau ra nts leicester city centre tonight. pubs and restaurants which have been closed since lockdown in march all set to reopen on saturday along with others in england, but they've now been told they can't. it's very disappointing. at the end of the day we've been gearing up to reopening for this period. i we've been gearing up to reopening forthis period. i mean, it we've been gearing up to reopening for this period. i mean, it was announced a couple of weeks ago, so whether it is our colleagues, our suppliers, we have all been getting together, working out plans, working out health and safety about what we are going to be doing, training staff, everything. and it'sjust really disappointing. as well as an extension of existing restrictions, nonessential shops will have to close from tomorrow and local schools on thursday, and there is advice to avoid nonessential travel in and out of leicester. i'm not surprised because they are too many people going against what has been recommended. personally, ifind it

ha rd recommended. personally, ifind it hard because i live on my own, so it's going to be another two weeks. yellow not happy about it at all to be honest. why is leicester the only place to be shutting down? —— i'm not happy about it. it was late this evening when the health secretary came to the commons to announce the measures. having taken clinical advice on the action is necessary and discuss them with the local team in leicester in leicestershire, we have made some difficult but important decisions. we have decided that from tomorrow nonessential retail will have to close. and, as children have been particularly impacted by this outbreak, schools will also need to close from thursday. labour's health spokesman and south of leicester mp said the outbreak had first been spotted ii said the outbreak had first been spotted 11 days ago and the government could have acted sooner. earlier, the city mayor who was expecting the announcement didn't sound totally convinced. i'm a little surprised that the government has decided this needs to be done in leicester, because to be honest with

you the statistics, while the show issues in leicester they do not show oi'ies issues in leicester they do not show ones so issues in leicester they do not show ones so dramatic that we should be singled out. on the other hand, if the government wishes to proceed with this we will live with it. testing in the area picked up the unexpected rise in virus cases. new mobile testing sites... there has been much speculation about the increase in case numbers. inner—city areas with high density housing, some residents with vulnerable health conditions are among factors mentioned. 0ne local councillor said for some south asian communities there were language problems with key health messages as well as housing challenges. when you have a large family living in a 2—3 bedroom house, that can create a huge health issue. i know that for a fact that does exist in leicester, especially

in my ward, and this is due to the housing crisis. we have a serious shortage of houses. businesses will be wondering what might compensate them and how long these new measures will last. and hughjoins us now. i'm just wondering what you make of this about concern in government and elsewhere for leicester? given they announced this in the commons less than an hourago, announced this in the commons less than an hour ago, matt hancock, and firstly we hadn't expected the closure of local schools and nonessential retail this week. this sta rts nonessential retail this week. this starts the health secretary used we hadn't heard before, admissions to

hospitals running between 6—10 per day. the infection rate in leicester was three times higher than the highest city equivalent. i should also say for those shielding they had expected a bit of a pause from july the 6th. the most vulnerable with difficult health conditions. that now won't happen in leicester... are you picking up any signals from government or other bodies that they are concerned for other towns or cities and we could see this kind of thing happening elsewhere? i think the messages this could happen elsewhere in england. the point being made is they have tried to tackle local outbreaks already on a much smaller scale, in somerset for example, the closure of hospital. this is the first time with a big area of urban accommodation and some towns around the edge of leicester, so a very significant moment in the handling of this crisis. the point being made is if you apply these localised

measures based on testing you don't have to lock everybody down, as we have to lock everybody down, as we have seen for the last couple of months. so that is a much more effective tool, they think, but certainly not much consolation to the people of leicester and businesses there this evening. thank you, hugh pym, a health editor. —— thank you, hugh pym,our health editor. the education secretary for england, gavin williamson, has raised the prospect of fining parents who refuse to send their children back to school by september. mr williamson said he wanted all age groups to resume their education in the autumn. teaching unions said it was the wrong approach to threaten parents who were concerned and needed to be reassured about the safety of their children, as our education editor bra nwen jeffreys reports. genetic variation... we look around this room and we have very different features... lessons have started, but at a distance. by september this classroom could be full. with a—levels next year, they are keen to be back. i would want to be back in september as long as it is deemed to be safe but there is a was going to

be safe but there is a was going to be some risk. it's going to be so ha rd be some risk. it's going to be so hard to then get back on track and make sure we get the grades we need for universities. but if parents don't send younger children back, there will be fines. school in england, are compulsory in september. tonight we had from a mock senior conservative... rather than having a sledgehammer fine in the early stages... and i understand parents are anxious, we should have at least a record from the school or local councils, or even both, where they can check which children are not in school, contact the parents and help them to make sure the kids go back into school again. schools will want to persuade parents first. to fit everyone in, the government will suggest mixing within year groups. the positive part of that as you can have more flexibility within a yeargroupforyour

you can have more flexibility within a year group for your timetabling and staffing. the negative is if one person is tested positive for covid in that, they all need to go home for 14 days. and that could be very disruptive, well they might if for example we have another spike or we just have a few cases locally, that could mean the school is then closed for another two or three weeks. and across the almost 30 schools sheila was after, teenagers may sit fewer gcse. next year there will be an extra £560 million for repairs. but the total repair bill for england's schools is around £67 billion. £1 billion already planned will be used for 50 building projects, but that follows a decade of falling spending on school buildings. this is part of the school that does

require some additional funding. we have considerable damp in the ceiling, and we have had buckets on and off here collecting rainwater as it comes through the roof. this devon school has spent years bidding for money. now, hoping it will be different this time... i think we'd like to see within our schools some sort of system whereby schools are audited according to their need for capital investment and that money invested where there is the most urgent need. wipe my as schools plan to get them back, buildings that are clea n to get them back, buildings that are clean and airy are more important than ever. bra nwen clean and airy are more important than ever. branwen jeffreys, bbc news —— and as schools plan to get the prime minister borisjohnson says "the cash is there" for long—term investment to help the uk economy recover from the impact of the pandemic. in the coming days, a spending programme will be announced to boost the economy. civil service reform is also on the agenda,

but it's been overshadowed by the controversy over the departure of whitehall‘s most senior civil servant — the cabinet secretary sir mark sedwill. 0ur political editor laura kuenssberg has more details. among these buildings, steeped in history, it can feel like time stands still. but some moments press fast forward. after the national emergency of coronavirus, the government wants speed and scale. that means extra cash for schools and infrastructure. after months of spending and borrowing big to support the economy through lockdown, more is on the way. i believe personally that what the government has got to do right now is keep going with an activist, interventionist approach. but that is the way also to get business to be confident, to start investing, to start taking people back and start creating new jobs. it might already be too late for so many. we first heard from this travel firm back in march. desks were already emptying then as bookings began to dry up and staff stay away.

their team, some of the 11 million or so people who have been supported by the taxpayer since then. so much uncertainty, though, could mean much more unemployment. today, i've had to make people redundant via video call and take them off the furlough scheme, because the scheme is tapering out. i do think the government needs to look at some sector specific support in order to ensure that isn't mass unemployment in the travel industry. to avoid that, the prime minister may be willing to ignore some treasury convention. but those rules aren't the only ones this number ten wants to push. out with the top civil servant, sir mark sedwill, who welcomed the prime minister in december, but his departure was confirmed yesterday. and in with more of the ideas of his most senior adviser, dominic cummings. his hope — a more active and aggressive team to push things through, something to cheer for him, perhaps. something others might fear.

we are living through a health crisis. there's an economic crisis coming up alongside. millions of people could lose theirjob. the prime minister should be focusing on a july budget and answering the question, how are you going to preserve and protect jobs? not moving around senior civil servants. there's been a huge scramble here to keep up with the demands of the coronavirus crisis, and ministers have been knocked as and when things have gone wrong. so downing street wants this week to pause and to reset, to accelerate their plans, shift some key personnel, and they hope, change the politics, too. after turmoil, downing street may try to show parliament and the public a convincing shape of things to come. but this crisis has demonstrated a political truth — governments can be overwhelmed by the pace of events beyond their control. laura kuenssberg, bbc news, westminster. the number of deaths registered in the last 24—hour period in the uk where covid—19 was recorded is 25. the number is always much

lower after the weekend. it brings the total number of deaths of people who tested positive for covid—19 to 43,575. the latest comprehensive analysis of deaths during the pandemic reveals that the uk, and england especially, has suffered more deaths than similar countries. officially, the uk government claims it's too early to make international comparisons. but when adjusted for size of population and the number of deaths expected in a normal year, the uk comes out worst on almost every measure compared with countries which are also past the first peak. the list includes other g7 and other european countries. 0ur economics editor faisal islam has been studying the figures. covid—19 has hit countries around the world in different ways. now that the impact of the first wave is becoming clear across the world, it is possible to make the first direct comparisons of the picture in similar countries, up until now.

the g7 is the group of wealthy western industrialised nations whose leaders meet for annual high profile summits and whose economic performance is regularly ranked. bbc news has calculated the official counts of covid deaths per 100,000 of population over the course of this first wave of the pandemic. japan, canada and germany have had very few deaths, especially on this measure. the usa, when you account for population, is in the middle, just behind france, then there's italy. and worst hit is the united kingdom, with over 60 covid deaths per 100,000 of population. now, it's possible that some of those differences are down to the way things are measured, so another way of looking at this is deaths over and above the average level in recent years — what's known as excess deaths. but the picture here is the same — the uk is the hardest hit.

in fact, on this measure, it is markedly worse for the united kingdom, with nearly 100 per 100,000 excess deaths. italy, which was first hit in europe, on 75. germany on single figures per 100,000 population. the bbc has worked with independent charity the health foundation, and oxford university economists on these methods. excess deaths measures the totality of a pandemic‘s impact on the population, so deaths from covid and deaths which might not have been caused by covid but have been caused by people, for example, not using health services during the pandemic period. understanding how countries have differed is a really important part of learning the lessons for potentially a second wave or a future pandemic. the government stopped showing charts of international deaths at their briefings, saying they weren't comparable. but one way of making the comparison

is looking at the percentage of excess deaths as a proportion of the usual deaths. this measure doesn't change the g7 ranking — the uk is still by some distance the worst hit country. but when you use this measure to compare to other ha rd—hit european countries, there is a slight change in the picture. spain is the worst hit of the major european nations, a little above the uk, italy and belgium, with the dutch and french following. but if the uk is split up into its constituent national health systems, as oxford university economists have done in a new report out today, england and spain are basically jointly worst hit in europe. england's slightly worse, scotland was less hit, wales and northern ireland significantly so. these numbers start to tell a story about a deadly pandemic wave that hit broadly similar countries in very different ways, with the united kingdom and england at the rough end of these comparisons. now, that might be down to the way in which the uk population is structured, the presence of mega cities like london in our population,

but there are questions about the speed and effectiveness of the initial government response, particularly as regards care homes, questions that might need to be answered more speedily than the government wishes to. faisal islam, bbc news. the welsh government has announced that people from two households will be able to form one extended household from next monday. the first minister mark drakeford said the change would enable many families to be reunited for the first time since march. pupils at most schools in wales have returned today with limits on class sizes, and staggered start times and breaks. 0ur wales correspondent hywel griffith has the latest. drive—through drop—offs, just part of the new order at this community school, with just one year group and they are attending. each pupil will have three days here between now and the end of term. inside, classrooms

include keeping two metres apart. they won was about catching up with friends, if not work —— day one. dinner had to be taken at the desk. it's weird because everything has changed so much. you have to keep your distance from friends and you are not in same class with your friends, so is weird. i don't know if we will do much learning, because there is obviously not enough time to learn everything in three days, because we missed three months. to learn everything in three days, because we missed three months. you have the toilet area here. for the head teacher, there have been some headaches. now he needs to plan for next term. but the welsh government still hasn't said whether or not it will be with full attendance. people are stressed enough and worried about various things and jobs and so on, soi about various things and jobs and so on, so i think if we could give clarity to parents as to what will happen in september, that would be of great benefit. for most staff and students, it is a relief to be back

within these walls. but there is —— this limited stag and restart means most learning is still happening back at home, leaving plenty of pressure still on parents. from next monday, extra help may become available, when any two households in wales will be able to combine as one to meet and stay indoors. grandparents will be able to see their grandchildren at home again. it will help support many working pa rents it will help support many working parents with informal childcare over the weeks ahead. planning for the summer has been heard, so that feels like progress. it's a step at a time. definitely heading the right way now. yeah, it feels like normality is on the horizon. the journey out of lockdown remains gradual. back to school, maybe, but definitely not the old routine. hywel griffith, bbc news, neath.

in northern ireland, social distancing has been reduced to one metre where two metres isn't possible. also announced today, the maximum number of people who can meet outdoors is to be increased to 30. and churches across northern ireland have reopened for indoor services, with social distancing. in scotland there were queues outside many shops today, which have been allowed to reopen as long as they can be accessed directly from the street. some workplaces, zoos and playgrounds also reopened today — and couples can also hold outdoor weddings with a limited number of guests. the latest coronavirus figures for scotland also show some cause for optimism, with no reported deaths for a fourth consecutive day — as our scotland editor sarah smith reports. we are here today to witness... it's not exactly the perfect day for a june wedding, but after several postponements, jessica and alistair wanted to tie the knotjust as soon as coronavirus restrictions allowed. this ring is given... this ring is given... even if the guests had to witness their first kiss

via video conference. cheering and applause. the penguins can pick up an audience for feeding time at edinburgh zoo, as kids venture out of a long lockdown. as soon as we heard it was open, the kids were desperate to come back. even yesterday when i told them we were allowed to go to the park, they couldn't believe it. "0h, we can go to the park, we can go to the zoo!", so they were super excited this morning. much has reopened later than in other parts of the uk, but scotland can celebrate four days with no recorded deaths and only five new coronavirus cases confirmed in the last 2a hours. experts say scotland's on track to eliminate the virus by the end of the summer. you know, we, through our efforts, are earning our way to something that might look hopefully over the next period like elimination, but we will have to continue to work hard to keep it there. scotland's first minister nicola sturgeon is not ruling out the possibility of a quarantine period for people coming into

scotland from other parts of the uk. there's no plans for that now, but if infection rates are significantly higher in england, wales or northern ireland, then the scottish government could introduce travel restrictions. people in glasgow queued for hours before shops reopened their doors for the first time, impatient for a bit of retail therapy. getting the wider economy into recovery will be a long haul, which the scottish government thinks will require billions of pounds in extra government spending. sarah smith, bbc news, glasgow. greece has decided to extend its ban on all flights from the uk until the 15th of july. the extension could cause disruption to many british holidaymakers, as flights were due to resume this wednesday. but greek officials say a fortnight‘s extension is needed due to the coronavirus situation in the uk. the government has published new guidance on weddings in england, allowing ceremonies of up to 30 people. from the lithjuly, socially distanced weddings and civil partnerships will be able

to go ahead. but the government's new guidance advises against receptions and says hands must be washed before exchanging rings. small ceremonies are currently allowed in the other nations of the uk, which set their own lockdown rules. it's three months since the government announced its furlough scheme, which is now paying the wages of 9 million employees. the treasury also launched a scheme to support the self—employed. but up to 3 million workers have been excluded, and they're still not eligible for government support measures. our business editor simonjack has been speaking to some of them. primarily children with autism, dyspraxia... karen garner's child treatment rooms have been empty since march. the kind of therapies used here require hands—on contact. something like climbing helps to calm and organise the nervous system. as owner of a limited company, karen takes her pay in dividends, so while her staff are having their wages paid, she has had no

income for three months. as an independent health care sector, we feel a little forgotten. i can't allow myself to think this would be the end, because we have a duty of care to children who need us, and i need us to be there for them. while the government is expected to spend over £100 billion on wage support and business grants, many don't qualify. among the excluded are limited company owners like karen, who take their pay mostly in dividends, those who became self—employed too recently to have tax records, and freelancers on short—term paye contracts. it's owners of businesses like this, unable to operate or access support, that are among the estimated 3 million people who fall between the cracks in the various government programmes. that's nearly 10% of the entire workforce, and it's notjust the economic impact which has been severe and sudden, it's also watching your business, your livelihood, disappear in front

of your eyes with seemingly no help at hand, which can be extremely emotionally and mentally distressing. i've struggled getting out of bed some days, because what do you do with yourself when your whole world's turned upside down? mark whitaker is a curtain fitter from stockport he started his own business while still employed. he then went solo, but didn't earn enough last tax year to qualify for self—employed support. i need some money. people in my situation need money. we need financial help, no two ways about it. don't make me beg for it. you didn't make anyone else beg, so why are you making me? it's not fair. freelancers also miss out. james taylor is a tv producer who works on short—term contracts, like most people in the creative industries, which are worth over £100 billion to the economy. most people like myself can get backdated help from the government. the creative industries will be decimated.

there will be people leaving the industry left, right and centre, i think. it pains me to say, but i'm one of those people. it's now 100 days without income for mark. the treasury highlight things like vat, mortgage deferrals and increased universal credit. the chancellor says he can't save everyone. they would say he hasn't tried hard enough. when museums across the uk reopen, they'll be operating in a new world — notjust in terms of social distancing and other protection measures, but also in terms of the changing cultural environment. the killing of the african—american george floyd, the calls for change by the black lives matter movement and the focus on aspects of britain's imperial past have all put museums and their collections in the spotlight. they include the benin bronze artefacts, which were taken from nigeria in the 19th century and placed in the british museum and other institutions. 0ur arts editor will gompertz has been investigating the challenges ahead. do you think that museums across britain, when they reopen,

are ready for the changed world? i think the museums will be part of the change. the change, you know, doesn't take place overnight. the change doesn't take place within a week or two. if we want to see real change, we all have to put our nose to the grindstone. museums have to be like dancers. you have to be on your toes. you have to be ready for the whole thing. to tell the truth that you understand it to be. most of all, you have to be ready to listen. it was acceptable maybe a generation ago to talk about loans and to talk about facing up to empire — "we can use these objects to tell the story better". there's a new generation now that really don't buy that. i think it's time to actually review what we have in our museums. we live in a multicultural society, and i think the museums should actually reflect some of that

history and some of that story. how did we get here? where did the wealth come from? you are british nigerian, yinka, and of course one of the most contested series of objects are the benin bronzes found which are to be found in museums across the country, but particularly in the british museum. is it your view that they should go back to nigeria? absolutely. i think they should go back. i think they should be 3d printed and shown in the british museum, but return the originals. it's a matter of respect and being treated equally. i think that if you steal people's heritage, then, you know, you're stealing their psychology and you need to return it. have the nigerians asked for the benin bronzes back? they have expressed a desire to have objects that are now in european museums, and in other museums in the world, some of these objects back in benin city.