Following an announcement from Prime Minister Boris Johnson this afternoon, parts of the country that were previously under Tier 3 restrictions, including Hertfordshire, have now gone into Tier 4.

The new restrictions, which come into place from tomorrow in London, the south east and east of England, mean that households will not be able to mix over Christmas, with the exception of support bubbles, and non-essential businesses will have to close.

These new rules come into place following a surge in cases, including a new strain of the virus which is 70 per cent more transmissible than the old variant.

People living in Hertfordshire must stay at home, work from home where they can, and not travel out of Tier 4 areas.

The restrictions will last for two weeks and will be reviewed on December 30.

On Thursday (December 17), parts of Hertfordshire including Stevenage, Hitchin, Letchworth, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Royston, St Albans and Harpenden were placed into Tier 3 - previously the tightest level of restrictions.

Meanwhile parts of South Cambridgeshire such as Meldreth, Melbourn and Great Chishill remain in Tier 2.

For those living outside of Tier 4, households are still allowed to mix but the relaxation of the rules has been restricted to cover Christmas Day only.