GYM company bosses have hit out at bars and restaurants opening before them, saying they are crucial in preventing obesity which is one of the risk factors for coronavirus.

Pubs, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers and barbers in England can reopen from July 4.

But Boris Johnson said nightclubs, indoor gyms and beauty salons must remain closed "for now".

Spas, casinos, nail bars, tattoo parlours, massage parlours, soft play areas, swimming pools, bowling alleys and water parks will also not reopen at this next stage.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said it was the government's "aspiration" to reopen gyms and leisure facilities in "mid-July".

As with non-essential shops, which began operating again earlier this month, premises that reopen will have to introduce a range of safety measures to ensure they are "Covid secure".

Mark Sesnan, the managing director of GLL, which runs 270 leisure and sports facilities on behalf of local authorities, said Johnson has made a "potentially catastrophic mistake".

He added: “The Government has made a potentially catastrophic mistake by leaving community leisure centres, indoor gyms and swimming pools off the list of businesses that can reopen on 4th July nor given any indication when they might reopen.

“This will be bad for business, bad for jobs and bad for the health of the nation.

“The Government is ignoring the health of the nation, when it has been proven that conditions such as obesity and diabetes significantly increase the risks associated with Covid-19.

“We all enjoy a pint. But if pubs and restaurants can reopen it defies logic that indoor sports and leisure facilities remain closed – particularly public facilities designed to serve local communities.

“This decision appears misguided and short sighted. We need an opening date for our sector immediately.”

PureGym, one of the UK’s largest operators with more than one million members, has said it is “extremely disappointed” in the Prime Minister’s announcement.

In a statement, the company said: “We understand that these decisions are not easy, but it is a strange ‘war on obesity’ that sees pubs and restaurants open before gyms.

“Our facilities are, on average, the size of five or six doubles tennis courts and are exceptionally well ventilated, enabling people to work and exercise safely and securely.

“Through our existing electronic entry system, we know the names and details of every single member in our facilities at any moment.”

The statement added that industry-agreed guidance on hygiene and social distancing was submitted to the Government early in May and continued: “We are bitterly disappointed that the one sector that has the potential to help people and that has developed clearly workable protocols for safe operations is prevented from opening for a further undefined period.

“We urgently call on the Prime Minister to re-examine the evidence, engage with us and our industry bodies, and allow people back into gyms as soon as possible.”