THOUSANDS of Londoners have defied the Government and fled the capital after Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas for millions in the South East. The city’s stations were said to be like “war zones” as locals skipped town before the restrictions came into affect. This came hours after Professor Chris Whitty begged people not to flee, warning: […]
THOUSANDS of Londoners have defied the Government and fled the capital after Boris Johnson cancelled Christmas for millions in the South East.
The city’s stations were said to be like “war zones” as locals skipped town before the restrictions came into affect.
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This came hours after Professor Chris Whitty begged people not to flee, warning: “If you have packed a bag, unpack it.”
But, dramatic pictures have emerged tonight of long queues of traffic leaving the city along with packed train stations as people attempt to avoid the brutal new restrictions.
In St Pancras station hundreds of people have been filmed rushing towards the trains leaving the capital.
Similar frantic scenes were pictured at Paddington station and King’s Cross.
Traffic on the A40 leaving London was jammed in the hours after Mr Johnson’s bombshell announcement.
Commmuter Harriet Clugston, who filmed the scenes at St Pancras, compared the scenes to the city of Saigon during the Vietnam War before the Viet Cong invaded.
She tweeted: “Last train out of Saigon. Queue at St Pancras as we wait to board the Leeds-bound train.”
“As expected, train is crammed,” she later wrote.
Harriet said that officials announced that “social distancing will not be possible” in the packed train.
Another Twitter user posted: “Mate St Pancras looked like a war zone tonight. Euston very tame in comparison.”
Travel and different households mixing will be banned under the new highest level tier – with families elsewhere only allowed to form ‘Christmas bubbles’ on December 25 itself, the PM told the nation today.
Mr Johnson told around 18 million Brits in Tier 4 the tough crackdown will help save lives with a new mutant strain of the virus sweeping through the south of England.
He said: “Yes, Christmas this year will be very different, but we must be realistic.
“We are sacrificing our chance to see loved ones this Christmas, so we have a better chance of protecting their lives so we can see them at future Christmases. “
The PM warned the nation he could not ignore the terrifying new strain and vowed: “We have to act to protect the public.”
Mr Johnson said: “As Prime Minister, it is my duty to take the difficult decisions, to do what is right to protect the people of this country.
“Given the early evidence we have on this new variant of the virus, and the potential risk it poses, it is with a heavy heart that I must tell you we cannot continue with Christmas as planned.
“I sincerely believe there is no alternative open to me.”
He said people would be “disappointed” but vowed he was following the science as a result of the new rapidly-spreading strain.
The PM said he “bitterly regretted” cancelling holidays for millions of people. The new restrictions would be reviewed again on December 30.
People throughout England are advised to “stay local” and avoid overseas travel, while those in Tier 4 will only be able to go abroad for essential business.
There were 27,000 positive Covid-19 cases recorded today, the latest stats showed.
