this is bbc news the headlines at four... millions of people in england and wales are told to stay at home — on the first day of tough, new coronavirus restrictions. the new variant is out of control and we need to bring it under control, and this news about the new variant has been an incredibly difficult end to, frankly, an awful year. the health secretary labels crowded scenes at london stations last night as "irresponsible" — the transport secretary says extra police officers will be deployed to enforce the rules. the republic of ireland is to restrict air and sea travel with britain from midnight. and the netherlands, italy and belgium ban flights between the uk as concern grows over the new coronavirus variant queues form at supermarkets in england, as shoppers adapt their plans for

the festive period. it is my son's first christmas, and he won't be able to see his grandparents. it's just ruined, really. just going to try and make it as special as i can for my son. good afternoon. almost 18 million people are today living in tougher tier 4 restrictions in parts of england because of what the government says is a variant of coronavirus which is spreading rapidly. all previous tier 3 areas in the south east and east of england — including london, kent and most of essex — have moved into tier 4. the public is being asked to stay at home and there will be no "christmas bubbles" for gatherings. get—togethers will be restricted to meeting one other person outside in an open public space.

non—essential shops have closed along with gyms, beauty salons and hairdressers. for those living in tiers 1 to 3 in england, "christmas bubble" gatherings can now only take place on christmas day itself. meanwhile, all of wales is now in lockdown — restrictions only easing for christmas day. and scotland is also only relaxing its rules on christmas day, with the highest level of restrictions coming into force for the whole country on boxing day. all travel to the rest of the uk is also banned for the festive season. northern ireland has already announced it's new national lockdown, from december the 26th. this morning the health secretary matt hancock said he understood people's frustrations with the change in restrictions, but said they were necessary to try and get the new variant of the virus under control. jessica parker reports. st pancras station last night, hours before new stay—at—home rules came in — scenes the health secretary

has described as irresponsible. but among all those who didn't board to leave london, a student who had hoped to see family in ireland. it's just been a really challenging year being away from my family. and this was finally a christmas where i could just get some freedom from a year that's just been really difficult. but, obviously, we have to adjust, just like i had to adjust last time, so itjust won't be very easy. ministers say they had to act. the new lockdown for london, parts of east and south east england, known as tier 4, christmas plans cut back across the rest of england as a more infectious variant of the virus spreads. the new variant is out of control and we need to bring it under control, and this news about the new variant has been an incredibly difficult end to, frankly, an awful year. lockdown in wales has been brought forward. the christmas relaxation rules curbed as they have been in scotland where, across the mainland, tighter restrictions come in on boxing day.

northern ireland will keep the relaxation, but was already set for lockdown from the 26th. for england, a suggestion tighter controls could be here for some time. we don't know how long these measures are going to be in place. it may be for some time until we can get the vaccine going. that isn't an easy thing to say. so little looks normal this year. labour has accused the prime minister of waiting until the 11th hour to toughen up the rules. we have a prime minister who is so scared of being unpopular, that he is incapable of taking tough decisions until it's too late. whether that was going into the lockdown in the first place, extending the furlough scheme, bringing in a circuit breaker in october to protect the economy and now christmas. ministers claim they acted quickly following a scientific briefing on friday afternoon. with days to go, millions of people

now have to re—examine their plans and face a very different — in some cases, very difficult — festive season. jessica parker, bbc news. let's talk to the conservative mp sir david amess. his constituency of southend west in essex has just been placed in tier 4. christmas ruins... necessary? sir david, can you hear me? i wasjust saying, christmas has been ruined. but is this necessary? the area that i represent, we were in tier i, and injusta i represent, we were in tier i, and injust a few i represent, we were in tier i, and in just a few weeks we have gone from tieri to tier 4. all of this happened after parliament sat on

thursday. i am still waiting to hear the indicators locally, but i understand that hospital admittance has been increasing and infections are rising dramatically, but it is just so desperately disappointing given that on wednesday, it seemed an absolute certainty that we would all be able to celebrate christmas over a five—day period. all be able to celebrate christmas over a five—day periodlj all be able to celebrate christmas over a five-day period. i have been looking at the figures for your area as well and basildon, about a 20 minute drive away from your constituency, has the highest rate of coronavirus now in england? yes, this is a very, very worrying trend. the last thing we want is for anybody to become unwell as a result of this mutating of the virus. so, yes, we have to be very, very careful. it seems as if the tier structure isn't working exactly as

we wa nted structure isn't working exactly as we wanted to and i hope everyone is as careful as they can be, washing their hands, wearing facemasks where appropriate and socially distancing. but it is the shortness of the notification of this that has been absolutely devastating for local constituents. the prime minister just a few days ago was saying it would be inhumane to cancel christmas. now 18 million people are under tier 4. is that because he just didn't know? wouldn't they have had an inkling about how this would spread? one would have thought that the data is being fed in all the time, and are not at the heart of number 10 downing street and it is one reason why frankly, i would have preferred parliament to be recalled. we could meet virtually, if that was the only way, so that we could put those questions directly. however, decisions have already been made. i

think it is unfortunate that the impression was given on wednesday that it was unlikely that there would be any further changes. so i do share the desperate disappointment of constituents not being able to enjoy the festive period, if only for a very short while. how do your constituents think this has been handled by the government? well, i have been a member of parliament for a long while and by and large, people are very kind to me, but there are some that are very angry about the situation and who else can they express their anger to other than the local member of parliament, which is why, frankly, it would be nice if we could have been involved ata nice if we could have been involved at a much earlier stage. if it is the case that this information was presented to this government dramatically without any warning, then i suppose there was no other

way that it could have been dealt with. but it was just the fact that on wednesday, the idea that we would have been cancelling this, itjust wasn't on the agenda and that is why, i think, wasn't on the agenda and that is why, ithink, people wasn't on the agenda and that is why, i think, people are so desperately disappointed. it is not only the businesses. it is that people had made preparations, they had arranged the people they are going to meet and that has now all been ruined and ifeel especially sorry for those people that were going to perhaps meet older members of theirfamily, going to perhaps meet older members of their family, socially distanced. and what about keir starmer on this one? i don't know about the way that this virus mutated, but they must have been real alarm bells ringing and presumably the advisers and

scientists said to the government you have got to do something or you're you have got to do something or you' re really you have got to do something or you're really going to have an impossible situation to manage. but i think it is a shame that on wednesday, perhaps we did not give the impression in such a certain way that the christmas celebrations would go a planned. thank you very much forjoining us on bbc news. whilst we were speaking to sir david, we have had some new coronavirus figures in. more than 35,000 cases. the uk recorded 336 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. 534 on saturday. weekend numbers change and fluctuate a little. so just how has the coronavirus mutated and why is it now considered more transmissible and requiring many of us to rethink

our christmas plans? here's our health correspondentjim reed. that a virus can mutate is no surprise. it's when those mutations change the behaviour of the illness that scientists start to get concerned. the first traces of this new variant of the coronavirus were found in two samples taken in kent and london back in september. it then started to spread rapidly. doctors say they think the change could make the virus spread up to 70% faster. when we find the virus, we are finding the virus in the nose and throat. the higher amount of virus means that people are likely to be more infectious than they would otherwise be, and this means that we need to reiterate the social distancing measures — keep your distance, reduce your contact. the new variant of coronavirus has 23 genetic changes, some of which are focused around this spike protein on the outside of the virus itself. scientists think that might make it easier to latch onto cells inside the human body. there is no evidence so far that the changes make the disease any more serious or deadly, though researchers are studying hospital patients

now to confirm that. a more infectious virus means more people can catch it quickly. that could put pressure on the nhs at a time when the number in hospital with the virus is already nearing the peak of the first wave in april. it might also mean that existing social distancing rules are not tough enough to contain the spread. it's one reason for those new tier 4 restrictions in london and the south—east of england. it's a thousand little decisions every day about what we do. we need to know what our risk is when we go about our day, and we need to take those steps to limit those risks. the virus may be more transmissible with this particular variant, and circulating in certain areas, but there are measures that can reduce the spread. the worry with any change to the structure of a virus is that it might make a vaccine less effective. so far, though, there is no evidence of that in this case. the hope is that a widespread roll—out of the jab will still be enough to put an end to this pandemic.

jim reed, bbc news. with all non—essential shops closing in tier 4, people will be very restricted if they still have shopping to finish for christmas in what would normally be the busiest time of the year. these shoppers in charlton were out doing some last minute food shopping and were asked what the new tier 4 restrictions this christmas will mean for them. we'll get a much smaller turkey. we'll still have presence, we'lljust have to get the presents to who they belong to some other way. well, i was meant to go see family in the midlands, so i've just had to completely cancel that. because i thought i was going up there, i haven't got any food. so i've just come out to try and get some sort of christmas dinner together. i personally think that we won't change anything. you just have to work around it, i suppose. it shouldn't stop. christmas shouldn't stop, if that makes any sense? but we can work around it. well, have my family over,

same as most families. it's my son's first christmas and he won't be able to see his grandparents. it'sjust ruined, really. just going to try and make it as special as i can for my son. let's speak to our business correspondent, katy austin. business must be in despair. those are food shoppers there, but this is the busiest time for retail, isn't it, in the run—up to christmas? these are normally crucial for retailers. recently, we have seen more people shop online, but still those in person last—minute purchases are really important. if your shop is closed now, it is hard for people to order online. will people by them at all? there have been congestion issues at ports

which have meant that imported goods like toys, there have been delays. and there will be that shift over the next two or three months? for retailers, they get a lot for christmas, and they were hoping to use that week to salvage something from this year, because it has been such a torrid time for shops that have been asked to close more than one snow. what they should do with that excess stock is a big question there. i have been speaking to retailers today who have been saying it isa retailers today who have been saying it is a complete nightmare. it is the timing. it is not as retail as well. i spoke to beauty salons that said they had people to book and come in and see us before next week because they were worried about lockdown in january. because they were worried about lockdown injanuary. they have brought that forward. we were expecting a bumper time and know all of that lies in ruins. the northern ireland executive will meet at nine o'clock tonight amid concerns over the new variant of coronavirus found in england.

it comes as the republic of ireland announce travel restrictions on flights and ferries arriving from the uk from midnight tonight. let's speak to our correspondent louise cullen who's in enniskillen. bring us up—to—date with the latest developments. this was called for by three parties in a joint letter backed up by another letter from the health minister expressing deep concern about the news of this variant, and also questioning whether our christmas restrictions are robust enough. as we know, northern ireland took decisions earlier this week to go into lockdown from boxing day and that is going to be a six week lockdown. 0ver christmas itself, those christmas bubble windows are still open from the 23rd to the 27. there is travel time on either side of that as well. tonight, the executive is going to be in the position of trying to grapple with both a political and practical problem. they follow the leader of the

republic and close the ports and airports to stop that influx of people travelling home, because people travelling home, because people are obviously planning at this stage to move on the 22nd? 0r do they keep them open because there is no way to close the 300 mile long land border between north and south? and how do you support those people that have made all of those plans as well? the decision in the republic will be made this afternoon. it is being thrashed out at the minute with officials how that will work, the practicality of closing the ports and ferry ports, and traffic from the rest of the uk. the health minister here, he has his own concerns. he has said he once these stay at home and message, we understand, to be strengthened? does that mean it is given legal status, enforcement backing? that is another issue for the executive to deal with tonight. it will be a late one, a

nine o'clock meeting. unlikely there will be and outcome tonight. there isa will be and outcome tonight. there is a statement to for the education minister tonight trying to answer some of the questions people have been asking about schools, will they have a staggered return? will they be close? the rest of the executive might want to tie in any of those announcements about changing the christmas restrictions and a response to the news of the variant when he is at the podium tomorrow as well. police patrols on scotland's borders are to be doubled but there are no plans for checkpoints or road blocks. the first minister announced yesterday that a ban on cross—border travel would be extended to include the festive period. mainland scotland is to be put into lockdown from boxing day for at least three weeks. italy has become the latest country to suspend all flights to and from the uk because of the new variant of coronavirus. earlier, the netherlands became the first country to announce a ban on passengerflights from the uk. flights were stopped as of 6am after the country detected its first

case of the variant of coronavirus. belgium is also suspending all flights as well as train arrivals from from midnight tonight. that's 11 o'clock here in the uk. it is also understood that germany are looking at introducing restrictions on air travel. not much good news on that front. what it is like on the sport front? sarah. the scottish cup final has gone to extra time as celtic look to make it 12 domestic trophies in a row. they're up against hearts at hampden and things started well for the reigning champions — ryan christie made it 1—0 with a brilliant curled effort. then 0dsonne edouard doubled their lead with a cheeky penalty. but hearts have responded in the second half — first liam boyce got one back

for the edinburgh side, and then stephen kingsley‘s header was given by goal—line technology to make 2—2. it is quite a game and they are into the first half of extra time at hampden. the game is live on bbc scotland and the bbc sport website. eight minutes gone in the first half of extra time, and two goals apiece. aberdeen are up to third in the scottish premiership, after a 2—0 at kilmarnock. their first came from ryan hedges' deflected shot. the home side had brandon haunstrup sent off in injury time for this professional foul on sam cosgrove, and cosgrove got up and did this from the resulting free—kick — aberdeen level on points with second—placed celtic but they've played two games more. leicester are up to second in the premier league after winning 2—0 at tottenham. ajamie vardy penalty in the first half put them on their way. and he was involved in their second on the hour mark,

when his header was turned into his own net by toby alderweireld, and they held on for all three points. theyjump above spurs and third placed everton and narrow the gap to leaders liverpool to four points. a late danny welbeck equaliser denied sheffield united theirfirst league win of the season as they drew 1—1 at brighton. united'sjob was made even harder whenjohn lundstram was sent off for this challenge, after the referee had checked the var monitor. but against the odds they went in front, jayden bogle scoring a deflected effort on his premier league debut. sheffield united couldn't hold on though as welbeck came off the bench to score in the 87th minute. chris wilder's side are still rooted to the bottom of the league onjust two points. turning point, 85 minutes, in my opinion, an opportunity to go to — zero up, which i believe would be enough to win the game. we didn't

ta ke enough to win the game. we didn't take that one and two minutes later they scored. in the end, a pleasure watching my team trying to keep the ball out the back of the net. i keep talking about academies, people talk about shapes and systems and between the lines and nine and a half and ten, whatever you want to call it. at times, it is a simplistic game. manchester united take on leeds at 4.30 and sam allardyce takes charge of west brom for the first time when they host aston villa in the late game. callum smith lost his unbeaten record and super—middleweight world title to saul canelo alvarez. alvarez — widely regarded as one of the best pound for pound boxers on the planet — takes smiths wba belt, and the vacant wbc belt. he won on a unanimous points decision. he himself has only lost once before. i made the weight 0k. there's no excuses from me. he's a good fighter. i've lost to a pound—for—pound star.

i don't know, ijust think, there could have been a better version of me tonight, but it is what it is. we turned up, i performed, he performed, and he was the better man tonight. it's sports personality of the year later — favourite at on the bbc sport website. that's bbc.co.uk/sport. it is still too— two in celtic and hearts final. the market research company yougov say there is "0verwhelming public support" for tier 4 and christmas changes but say that public opinion is that the government has badly handled christmas covid rules. a snap poll, carried out as soon as the prime minister's press conference finished, highlights the publics continued concern as they support both the introduction of a new tier four and the changes to christmas mixing rules. let's talk to matt smith from yougov about the details of that snap survey. you have done several over the last

few weeks. i wonder what the demographic is on this one? is it largely the older demographic supports these new rules or is it across the board? while support is across—the—board, it across the board? while support is across—the—boa rd, it is across the board? while support is across—the—board, it is indeed the case that older people are more likely to support the rules. i think in the case of the introduction of the tier 4, we have got six in 1018 to 2a—year—olds who support the rules, where's that is more like... likewise, with the watering down of the christmas relaxation, you have bought half of 18 to 2a—year—olds supporting the changes to compared to eight in 1065 —year—olds. that has been a common sort of trend across has been a common sort of trend a cross m ost has been a common sort of trend across most happening coronavirus restrictions since the autumn or so.

backin restrictions since the autumn or so. back in the early days, march, april sort of times when the disease was a sort of times when the disease was a sort of times when the disease was a sort of new and restrictions are being introduced for the first time, you had almost universal public support, more than nine in ten and that was constant across all age groups. 0ver that was constant across all age groups. over time, while support still remains very high among older people, it has dropped among younger people, it has dropped among younger people, and that holds true in this week's survey. and the government's performance? absolutely, so you are very much in the case that although most people think the government has done badly, older people tend to be conservative voters, so it is not so surprising that they are less likely to think that the government has done badly. 0ne to think that the government has done badly. one of the key thing is to ta ke done badly. one of the key thing is to take away here is that basically britons will support any toughening of coronavirus rules. these policies are always popular. but it is not that the government gets any sort of

credit towards its reputation from introducing them. six in ten british people think that the government has handled this badly. the government is basically going to be seen as having done at the right thing eventually but only begrudgingly by the british public, so they are not going to receive any sort of reputational boost as a result of this. there are people that don't agree with tier 4, they say that livelihoods are as important as lives. how many people are did you poll for this and from what sort of background is? give us an idea of how you represent country as a whole? we surveyed about 4000 people and all of our surveys are weighted to be demographically representative of the public as a whole. so in this case, that includes their gender, age groups, it includes the occupations that they have, where in the country they are from and also

what party they voted for at the 2019 general election. it is a survey of people that matches how the wider public lapse. so we are very confident that this represents how the public thinks. —— how the wider public looks. but there are indeed people who oppose there are indeed people who oppose the tier system, about one in six people overall opposing tier 4, and some people opposed to the watering down of the christmas relaxation. some people opposed to the watering down of the christmas relaxationm was suggested eight fewer hours ago, i think by matt hancock, the health secretary, that these reflections could continue into easter, maybe even after easter until the vaccine is completely rolled out, and that

might take longer than we thought. looking at the trajectory of support for government restrictions, has that built this time in this poll than when the first lockdown happened several months ago? we have seen a flattening out. in the very first lockdown in the spring, we had about nine in ten people in support and that is closer to about three quarters now. that has been consistent since the second lockdown in september. i see no reason to suggest that it is going to decline much further. you know, as we enter 2021 and the vaccines come through, not least because people can really start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. but you have lost the very high levels of support that existed in the very early days and,

indeed, the government initially received a very strong opinion piece in terms of how many people were supporting their approach to the virus, but even after barnard castle... thank you very much indeed. let us bring you some news we're getting in from germany in the past couple of moments. germany has plans to restrict flights to and from britain and south africa, according to a government spokesman in the last few minutes. added to the list, with belgium and the netherlands as well. germany to restrict flights to and from britain and also south africa as well. in wales, the health minister says there could be a spike in coronavirus cases after christmas, even with the tougher restrictions announced yesterday. vaughan gething said the stay—at—home rule was introduced from midnight "partly" as a result of a new variant of the virus. i'm afraid the new variant

is here in wales as well. we had about 6000 welsh positive tests that went to one of the lighthouse labs that can test for this particular variant. 11% of those came back positive for the new variant. and i am afraid that of that, 600—odd cases that tested positive for the new variant, 22% of them were in north wales. we will review the measures after three weeks. i wouldn't anticipate the whole of wales would be coming out of level four after three weeks, but we will have to look at the data. we'll have to see what happens with the patterns of infection, how we are able to hopefully not just drive down but to keep on a sustained basis a lower level of infection rates. we also need to take account of the pressure our nhs is under, because we now have over 1500 confirmed covid cases in our beds here in wales. that is actually where the reasonable worst—case scenario was saying we could get by christmas day, so we have reached that point 6 days early,

and that really does show