Prime minister Boris Johnson visits Colchester Hospital

Prime minister Boris Johnson answered questions over the Indian variant and extraordinary allegations made by his former advisor Dominic Cummings on a visit to Colchester Hospital.

During the visit, which local media were not invited to attend, Mr Johnson said: "On what's happening now, we are pretty satisfied that the steps we have taken on the roadmap have been right. 

"I'm afraid we are going to have to wait a bit longer to see what's happening post step three. 

"We are seeing some signs of increasing cases particularly of the so-called Indian variant.

"I want to stress that we always did expect to see an increase in cases. That was always going to happen. 

"So what we do need to understand is to what extent the vaccine programme is starting to make a real difference in interrupting the link between infection and hospitalisation and serious illness and death. 

Asked whether he said he would rather see “bodies pile high” than order a third lockdown, Mr Johnson said: “I have already made my position very clear on that point.

“I’m getting on with the job of delivering the road map that I think is the sensible way forward.”