Prime Minister Boris Johnson today insisted he is on top of the COVID-19 crisis – and urged people not to go to the beach in Leicester.

Announcing he and cabinet colleagues were “worried about Leicester”, he confirmed crowding to the beach there was not helping.

Mr Johnson said: “We have to adopt a whack-a-mole strategy” of hitting anyone on the head who goes to the seaside in Leicester, no matter how tempting that may seem.

“We must rely on the common sense of the British people to avoid Leicester beach because of this rise in cases.”

Animal rights campaigners, while overlooking the fact Leicester is about 70 miles from the nearest coastline, are furious about the strategy.

Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “We abhor the idea of moles being hit with a mallet.”

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