Crowds circulated through the shopping districts of major cities on Saturday, including Regent Street in London, which had been temporarily blocked for pedestrians to help with social distancing

Sadiq Khan's appeal to the population to remain socially distant goes down with Christmas shopping crowds

"Otherwise, we may face more severe restrictions, which would severely damage the shops of the West End, our hospitality sector and the entire economy of Londres¨, a statement said.

Urging Londoners to use facial coverage in shops and socially distant from others, they advised avoiding travelling by public transport during rush hour and walking and cycling 'where you can'.