UK government considering return of local lockdowns due to spread of Indian variant

People queue for Covid vaccinations at the Essa academy in Bolton (Danny Lawson/PA)

The spread of the Indian coronavirus variant could lead to the return of local lockdowns, ministers in the UK have acknowledged.

The rise in cases of the highly transmissible variant of concern risks the next stage of England’s road map out of lockdown, currently pencilled in for June 21, being delayed.