Hampshire and Southampton to move to Tier 4 from Boxing day

This includes Southampton, but not the New Forest - which will be moved to Tier 3 instead.

This will come into effect at 00.1am on Boxing Day.

The county was place into Tier 2 following the end of the national lockdown on December 2.

Currently, just Portsmouth, Havant, and Gosport are in Tier 4.

The new Tier 4 rules

Non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas, hairdressers and bowling alleys will be forced to close for two weeks – while people will be restricted to meeting one other person from another household in an outdoor public space.

People in Tier 4 will be told they should not stay away from home overnight and people from outside will be advised not to visit Tier 4 areas.

Tier 4 residents are also advised not to travel abroad unless essential.

Exemptions to the “stay at home” message which applied in the November lockdown, will also apply in the new Tier 4 – including support bubbles, childcare bubbles and children whose parents are separated.

• Tier 4: What are the rules and what can't I do?

People will be allowed to travel for education, childcare and to go to work if they cannot work from home and they will be permitted unlimited outdoor exercise.

• New Forest and Totton in Tier 3 - These are the rules​