Huge queues have been seen at stations and on the roads as desperate Londoners flee the capital ahead of Tier 4 misery from Sunday.
On Saturday afternoon, Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed that a third of England – including London and swathes of the home counties – will be thrust into a brutal ‘Tier 4’ lockdown from midnight.
The draconian bracket will see non-essential shops shut, and travel restrictions including a ‘stay at home’ order for Christmas Day itself – even though Mr Johnson insisted just days ago that it would be ‘inhuman’ to axe five-day festive ‘bubbles’.
