Boris Johnson to urge England’s drinkers not to 'overdo it' when pubs reopen on 4 July

Prime minister returns to Downing Street lectern 10 days after daily press conferences were halted

Boris Johnson is to issue a plea to England’s drinkers not to “overdo it” when pubs reopen for business on Saturday after 15 weeks of lockdown.

The prime minister will return to the 10 Downing Street lectern on Friday evening in a revival of the press conferences held on a daily basis until last week.

His call for restraint comes after police and councils warned of the danger of large-scale drinking leading to disorder and a breakdown of social distancing practices which still require people to keep two metres apart unless they are taking mitigating action such as wearing face coverings.

Tim Clarke, of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said that the so-called “super Saturday” reopening of pubs and restaurants could be “as busy as policing New Year’s Eve”.

And the Treasury last night took down a social media post encouraging people to “grab a drink and raise a glass” on 4 July after it sparked an angry backlash.

A Treasury source admitted the department had made a mistake with the message, telling The Independent: “We got it wrong on this and the tweet was quickly removed.”

Mr Johnson has previously said that 4 July will mark the UK coming “out of hibernation” and said that representatives of seaside resorts should “show some guts” and do their best to attract revellers to their towns.

At the Downing Street press conference, the prime minister is expected to praise businesses for putting in a “heroic effort” to make shops, pubs and restaurants safe for customers – adding: “We must not let them down.”

He will say: “Just as when we first locked down, we will only succeed in reopening if everyone works together. Because we are not out of the woods yet.

“The virus is still with us and the spike in Leicester has shown that. If it starts running out of control again the government will not hesitate in putting on the brakes and reimposing restrictions.”

He will add: “So as we take this next step, our biggest step yet, on the road to recovery, I urge the British public to do so safely.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “He has said he does want to see people able to go out and enjoy themselves.

“He has also made clear that everybody needs to be careful, stay alert and follow the guidance. The guidance is there to keep everybody safe and to control the spread of the virus and it is hugely important that everybody follows the advice and makes sure that they don’t overdo it.”

Mr Johnson has previously said he was looking forward to a haircut on Saturday, when barbers and hairdressers will be permitted to open their doors, but Downing Street had no information on whether he would be going out for a drink or a meal that evening.

Asked whether Mr Johnson would urge people to take advantage of their new freedoms on Saturday, the spokesman said: “People will make up their own minds on exactly when they want to go out and enjoy the fact that there are parts of the economy open again.

“There will be lots of people who have missed being able to go out for a drink or a meal.

“But in general, people do need to remember to follow the rules and ensure that they don’t overdo it.”

Daily coronavirus press conferences from 10 Downing Street were halted after 92 briefings last week, with Mr Johnson saying they would now be held from time to time when the government has something particularly significant to announce.

Ministers shrugged off Labour demands to reinstate the briefings for the local lockdown in Leicester.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson was the first to announce a return to the lectern on Thursday to explain plans for schools to reopen in September.