All out...before the curfew! Revellers play cricket in the street and Piccadilly Circus turns into a rave as drinkers are kicked out of bars in time for 10pm
Crowds of revellers were once again seen piling out into the streets and partying last night after being kicked out of bars at the 10pm curfew in London.
Shocking footage shows hundreds of bar-goers dancing to a loud sound system in Piccadilly Circus in the capital, days before millions in the north could see more stringent coronavirus measures taken, including the shutting of pubs.
In south London, separate footage showed large groups gather for a game of cricket in the street after bars closed.
In Piccadilly Circus, people packed together with few face masks in sight as music blared from a speaker.
In the video, posted on social media just after midnight, large groups of men and women dance in a tight crowd in front of the landmark's icon screens.
Elsewhere in the street, a circle forms around a man in a coronavirus mask while people film each other dancing and laughing.
The footage skips to a clip of an ambulance arriving at the Shaftesbury Memorial Fountain after the music has been turned off.
But the huge crowds remain out in the street, whooping and cheering as music is turned on again.
Hundreds of bar-goers dance to a loud sound system in Piccadilly Circus, London, days before millions in the north could see more stringent coronavirus measures taken, including the shutting of pubs
Hundreds of people packed together with few face masks in sight as music blared from a speaker
In separate footage posted at around 11pm, crowds form around a group of men playing cricket in a Peckham street after the pubs close.
Revellers pull each other out of the way to make room for a bowler who throws and a batsman hits the ball to the delight of those in the street.
People drinking out of cans cheer and laugh as they turn to watch the ball in flight.
A makeshift fielder gestures to have the ball thrown to him but is jumped into by another reveller as several compete for it.
Another ball is bowled as onlookers continue to drink and enjoy the night after hours.
In separate footage posted at around 11pm, crowds form around a group of men playing cricket in a Peckham street after the pubs close
Revellers fight on the streets of Newcastle on Saturday night as rumours spread the bars could be closing in the next few days
A security guard wearing a coronavirus face masks tries to break up a fight between revellers in Newcastle
A reveller throws a man to the ground on a street in Newcastle after pubs shut at 10pm on Saturday night
Glasgow on a Saturday night as pubs and restaurants were forced to close due to a full coronavirus lockdown in Scotland
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the two-week alcohol ban inside pubs and restaurants across the country and closed bars entirely in coronavirus hotspot areas
Meanwhile, streets remained empty in Glasgow after Scotland introduced a 16-day alcohol ban on Friday evening.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the two-week alcohol ban inside pubs and restaurants across the country and closed bars entirely in coronavirus hotspot areas.
The footage in London comes after Boris Johnson's plans to introduce tough new lockdown measures in England went down to the wire on Saturday.
Discussions between No 10 and local leaders continued late into the evening.
People out socialising in Newcastle city centre make their way home after the 10pm curfew introduced to combat the rise in coronavirus cases
Boris Johnson plans to introduce tough new lockdown measures in England. Pictured: Group of friends in Liverpool city centre, ahead of the 10pm curfew
Millions of people in the Midlands and the North are facing travel bans and the shutting of pubs, with local communities tasked with enforcing the Test and Trace programme.
People could face fines if they travel between high and lower risk areas or breach orders to self-isolate.
The deployment of the 'Covid vigilantes' is an effective admission from Downing Street that the national programme has failed.
The complications could also lead to the staggered implementation of different measures, possibly on a postcode-by-postcode basis.
Friends were out drinking in Soho, London, after a range of new restrictions to combat the rise in coronavirus cases came into place in England
Police were on patrol as revellers enjoyed a night out in the centre of Liverpool ahead of new measures set to be introduced in the northwest next week
As an incentive for local leaders to co-operate, the Treasury will offer financial inducements – dubbed 'cash for crackdowns'.
Mr Johnson will set out the details of a new three-tier local lockdown system in a speech to MPs tomorrow.
The Prime Minister's adviser, Sir Eddie Lister, spent Saturday in discussions with local leaders in the areas concerned. One source said the negotiations centred on the severity of the measures.
It was suggested that in Merseyside (above, Liverpool city centre) all pubs and bars would be closed as part of 'Tier 3' measures, but that restaurants would be allowed to remain open
Police were on patrol as revellers enjoyed a night out in the centre of Liverpool ahead of new measures set to be introduced in the northwest next week
Mr Burnham has written to MPs in northern England asking them to call for a separate vote on the Chancellor's latest package – and to reject it
People out socialising in Liverpool city centre, ahead of the 10pm curfew that pubs and restaurants are subject to in order to combat the rise in coronavirus case
It was suggested that in Merseyside, one of the worst-affected places – with 600 cases per 100,000, all pubs and bars would be closed as part of 'Tier 3' measures, but that restaurants would be allowed to remain open.
This led to strained exchanges about the definition of a restaurant, as opposed to a pub which serves food.
The leaders are being offered incentives by No 10 to co-operate with the plans, which could be enacted as early as Wednesday.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has also been urging the Prime Minister to show 'restraint' over the new lockdown.