A fast spreading new variant of Covid could place the UK's plans to ease lockdown in June in jeopardy, it has been warned.

Experts say cases of the "Indian variant" are rising fast across the country with 400 in London alone, with other cases mainly centred around specific communities in the North West.

While the new strain is not thought to be any more dangerous than the "Kent" version which is responsible for most cases in the UK, it is believed to spread faster and Microbiologist Professor Paul Hunter told the BBC there could be a “huge number of cases by June".

Ministers say they are increasing the number of vaccine jabs being given in the affected areas, and have started mass testing, but local lockdowns have not been ruled out.

However, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said that as long as the government’s guidelines to ease restrictions are still being met, the June lockdown loosening will “absolutely” go ahead .

He said: “We will share the data with the nation, to demonstrate that those tests have either been met or otherwise. That is what data, evidence-driven policy is about.”

The Minister for Health, Matt Hancock, said: “We are monitoring the situation very carefully and will not hesitate to take further action if necessary.

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“It is imperative we all continue to be vigilant, and if you live in one of the 15 areas where we’ve introduced surge testing, make sure you get a free PCR test. And everyone who’s eligible needs to come forward and get a jab.”

Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 strategic response director at PHE, said: “We need to act collectively and responsibly to ensure that variants do not impact on the progress we have all made to drive down levels of Covid-19 and the increased freedom that brings.”

In India, the variant has gone through the country like wildfire, leading to thousands of daily deaths and health services being unable to cope.

However, vaccines have only been given to 1.8 per cent of its 1.38billion population, while in the much smaller UK around three out of four adults have had at last one Covid jab.

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