Johnson warns of threat posed by coronavirus variants

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaking about the Covid-19 pandemic in the House of Commons (House of Commons/PA)

The “lethal danger” posed by coronavirus variants could lead to a new wave of disease worse than that endured by the UK in January, Boris Johnson has warned.

The British prime minister stressed the need for caution and vigilance as lockdown eased, highlighting particular concern about the Indian variant which experts believe could be even more transmissible than the Kent strain which swept across the UK.