Boris Johnson has warned that the Indian coronavirus variant could “pose a serious disruption” to plans to ease restrictions and “could make it more difficult” to end them as hoped in June.

The Prime Minister didn't rule out the coronavirus lockdown easing on June 21 being delayed, which would see nightclubs remain closed, or reintroducing measures.

“I do not believe that we need, on the present evidence, to delay our road map and we will proceed with our plan to move to step three in England from Monday," he said during a Downing Street press conference.

“But I have to level with you that this new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step four in June.”

The Prime Minister also said the army would be on the street to deal with a new variant of coronavirus.

He said they would be deployed on the streets of Blackburn and Bolton handing out tests to help the surge testing efforts.

There will also be an acceleration of the vaccine rollout there, including longer opening hours at vaccination centres.

“If you’re seeing loved ones, think really carefully about the risk to them, especially if they haven’t had that second dose or if it hasn’t yet had time to take full effect,” he said.

He added: “I want us to trust people to be responsible, and to do the right thing. That’s the way to live with this virus while protecting the NHS and restoring our freedoms.

“It’s very clear now we’re going to have to live with this new variant of the virus for some time so let’s work together, and let’s exercise caution and common sense.”

Boris Johnson said that if the Indian variant proves to be “significantly more transmissible” than other strains “we’re likely to face some hard choices”.

The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I’m told that if it is only marginally more transmissible we can continue more or less as planned but if the variant is significantly more transmissible we’re likely to face some hard choices.”

But he said there is “no evidence to suggest that our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation”.

He also said that remaining second doses for the over-50s will be accelerated so they come eight weeks after the first.

The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation as it develops very closely because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter and it’s more important than ever therefore that people get the protection of a second dose.

“So following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation we will accelerate remaining second doses to the over-50s and those clinically vulnerable right across the country so those doses come just eight weeks after the first dose.”

Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said he didn't think this would delay when younger people would get their first doses.