A senior government scientific adviser appealed to the public to act responsibly as the coronavirus lockdown is gradually lifted and not ‘tear the pants out of it’.

Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, England’s deputy chief medical officer, warned that taking advantage of the relaxed measures due to be introduced next week runs the risk of triggering a second peak of the virus.

He compared the easement of restrictions to taking the lid off a coiled spring, adding: ‘Now, you can take the lid off a little, but you haven’t disconnected the spring or broken the spring in any way.

‘If you take the lid right off – the spring’s still under tension – off it will go again.’

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week that from Monday in England, friends and family can meet in parks and gardens in socially distanced groups of six.

But as people flocked to beaches and beauty spots in the sweltering heat over the weekend, Professor Peter Horby, of the University of Oxford, joined scientists Sir Jeremy Farrar and Professor John Edmunds, all members of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), to warn that ministers are taking risks.

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Professor Van-Tam said scientific opinions ‘always vary to some extent’, adding that the lockdown easing must go ‘painstakingly’ slowly.

He said: ‘This is a dual responsibility here of Government to go slowly and carefully and to take the advice from the scientists – of the scientists to watch this whole thing very closely over the next few weeks – and of the public in general to actually follow the guidance.

‘Don’t tear the pants out of it, and don’t go further than the guidance actually says.’

Referring back to when levels of the virus were higher, he said at that point he had noted it was a very dangerous moment.

He added: ‘I believe this is also a very dangerous moment. We have to get this right.’

The death toll in the UK across all settings rose to 38,376 on Saturday’s following a further 215 fatalities since Friday.

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