Barking and Dagenham council leader challenged over the decision to close pubs and restaurants

Julia Hartley Brewer has challenged the leader of Barking and Dagenham Council over the decision to close pubs and restaurants in London. It comes as virologist Dr Chris Smith said that the decision to move London into Tier 3 restrictions had been “pretty much on the cards” for the last few weeks. Dr Smith said that despite being spread more quickly, the new variant of coronavirus may not be any “nastier.” “Once it infects you, once it gets in you, it doesn’t actually make you any iller,” he said.