NEWS & Star readers have been reacting with dismay to the news that coronavirus restrictions are set to continue for another four weeks.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that restrictions would no longer be lifted on June 21, with a new date of July 19 proposed.

Experts feared going ahead with step four on June 21 as planned could lead to hospital admissions on the scale of the first wave of Covid-19 heaping unsustainable pressure on the health service.

To avert this, Mr Johnson said during a Downing Street press conference that it is "sensible" to put back the end of all legal limits on social contact to July 19, saying he is "confident" no further delay will be necessary.

Limits on numbers for sports events, pubs and cinemas will therefore remain in place, nightclubs will stay shuttered and people will be asked to continue working from home where possible.

Downing Street left open the option of ending restrictions on July 5 if the data proves drastically better than expected but conceded this is "unlikely".

Many readers took to Facebook to vent their frustration.

Allan Baldwick said: "Bumbling buffoon, and to think I supported his party. What a big mistake I made."

Angela Henderson added: "Why is he telling everyone he is extending the date ! In for weeks time there will be another new variant and another and another."

Mark Jackson posted a picture of Mr Johnson alongside the other leaders of the G7 in Cornwall appearing to ignore social distancing rules, commenting: "We should all move to Cornwall where it’s safe to forget the rules then?"

However, not everyone was against the decision -Steve Armstrong said: "I think it's sensible at this stage. I've always thought they should wait until everybody who's going to get the vaccine has had both doses. After that, we're as safe as we're ever going to be and keeping the restrictions going isn't really necessary - unless a really bad variant emerges that the vaccine is useless against."