BORIS Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds will be allowed to meet with family over the Christmas period despite living under Tier 4 restrictions in London.

The Financial Times reports that thanks to a loophole, which came into effect on December 2, the couple are allowed to meet up with one other household.

Several areas in England are now in Tier 4 – they are London, Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).

The National:

London is unusually quiet for this time of year due to Tier 4 restrictions

The southern parts of England were moved into the tight new tier after it emerged a new variant strain of Covid-19, prevalent in those areas, is believed to spread more quickly.

People in Tier 4 are not allowed to form Christmas bubbles on December 25 and have been told to stay at home unless they have a “reasonable excuse” to be out and about.

These excuses include work and volunteering, essential shopping, fulfilling legal obligations, education and childcare, visiting a support bubble, providing childcare and exercise among others.

Because the Prime Minister and Symonds have a child aged under one they are allowed to form a support bubble, even in Tier 4, and meet up with that other household when they want.

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The UK Government website states that in England: "You can form a support bubble with another household of any size if … your household includes a child who is under the age of one or was under that age on 2 December 2020."

The newspaper reported that there are an estimated 750,000 households in England which can take advantage of the loophole.

They said Downing Street insisted Johnson would remain at 10 Downing Street on Christmas Day, but refused to say whether he and Symonds would be joined by members of a support bubble.

Downing Street also failed to confirm where the couple would spend the days after Christmas.