Students have hit the town for freshers week but it looks like social distancing and the ‘rule of six’ were all forgotten.

Hundreds of freshers in Leeds and Portsmouth descended on pubs and clubs to celebrate the start of the new university term.

Packed queues steadily formed outside bars as large groups of friends chatted openly in the street.

Boris Johnson’s new measure banning more than six people from meeting up went out the window as the night carried on.

The concerning pictures come amid tough warnings from the Government that new coronavirus restrictions could be rolled out if cases do not fall.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has just imposed more lockdown measures for around two million people in the north-east of England.

Residents will no longer be allowed to meet up with friends, while pubs, restaurants and other licensed premises will be forced to close their doors between 10pm and 5am, and move to table service only.

The restrictions will apply to Newcastle, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Gateshead, County Durham and Sunderland – which have seen a sharp increase in coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, university bosses are under intense pressure to make their campuses safe from coronavirus.

And ministers have threatened club promoters with ‘serious police action’ following reports of big social events being advertised for students.

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