THE UK could be forced under a full lockdown within hours if the public does not heed pleas to stay two metres apart outdoors.

The Prime Minister responded to scenes of huge crowds flocking to Britain's parks, beaches, and holiday spots on Mother's Day yesterday.

Boris Johnson said there was no ban on going outdoors for fresh air - yet - as he told Brits to stay home as much as possible.

But the PM warned in yesterday's press conference the Government is ready to impose tougher restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus if people do not follow the guidance on social distancing and stay two metres apart.

He warned: "I don't think you need to use your imagination very much to see where we might have to go, and we will think about this very very actively in the next 24 hours."

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Health Secretary Matt Hancock has since warned the Government "may have to take further action" if people continue to flout social distancing rules of staying two metres away from each other.

He told Sky News: "This is not the sort of thing that anybody would want to do but, of course, it is the sort of thing we might have to do in order to protect life.

"If you do go out, you must not get closer than two metres from someone who isn't in your household.

"It is a really simple rule and incredibly important, because to protect life and the NHS we need to stop the spread of this virus and the virus spreads by people coming into close contact with each other."

Elsewhere other political figures adopted a notably more strident tone than the Prime Minister as they warned people not to leave their homes other than for essential business.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, whose city is at the centre of the epidemic in Britain, has ordered the city to stay off its public transport networks, including the London Underground, unless it is for essential travel.

Mr Khan said people must obey the guidance or others would die.

"This isn't advice, as far as I'm concerned. These are instructions and these are rules that we should all obey to stop people dying," he told BBC1's The Andrew Marr Show.