UK coronavirus LIVE: Death toll rises by 176 as police official warns pub reopenings could cause 'serious disorder'

A police and crime commissioner has criticised the Government’s decision to reopen bars on a Saturday , warning of a “likely threat of serious disorder” as coronavirus restrictions are relaxed.

The intervention from David Jamieson, the elected commissioner for the West Midlands Police area, came as Boris Johnson was accused of being "blind to the risks of easing lockdown". Sir Keir Starmer claimed the Prime Minister had "brushed away serious concerns" and decided to ease measures without the "world-beating" test, track and trace system that he had previously promised .

Meanwhile, Sadiq Khan has warned that London needs more powers to ensure a Leicester-style local lockdown can be enforced if necessary, amid warnings of a "second wave" of Covid-19 hitting the capital.

Scientists have suggested more local lockdowns could be needed in parts of Kent, London, north Wales and Scotland, where weekly infections have been increasing. It comes as the death toll neared 44,000, with another 176 fatalities reported across the UK overnight .

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