Pubs, hotels, restaurants and hairdressers among those to re-open next month

Lockdown restrictions will be relaxed from July 4, the government has announced, allowing a host of businesses and groups to re-open.

In a statement to the House of Commons this lunchtime, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that the two metre social distancing advice would be relaxed to one metre where needed when appropriate measures had been implemented to stop the spread of the virus.

That means pubs and restaurants can open both outdoors and also indoors with measures implemented.

Two separate households can also now meet indoors, which also allows hotels and bed and breakfasts to open up.

The Prime Minister also said that playgrounds, museums, galleries, theme parks, outdoor gyms and arcades, libraries, social clubs and community centres.

But there was disappointment as indoor gyms, nightclubs, soft play areas, bowling alleys and swimming pools must remain closed.

Non contact sport can also resume, though use of dressing rooms will be prohibited. Contact sports can only be played with people of the same household.

Mr Johnson said: “Today we can say our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end.”