There is growing pressure on the government to change the Christmas rules following the announcement a new variant of coronavirus had been discovered in Kent.

Currently three households can mix indoors from December 23 - 27 irrelevant of which tier you are in.

But two leading medical journals have said the move is a "rash decision" that will "cost many lives"

In a joint editorial the Health Service Journal and the British Medical Journal wrote: "Members of the public can and should mitigate the impact of the third wave by being as careful as possible over the next few months. But many will see the lifting of restrictions over Christmas as permission to drop their guard."

This afternoon, Cabinet Office Minsiter Michael Gove is to hold talks with the leaders of the devolved administration about the rules, but Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford has said it is a "hard-won agreement" that he will not "lightly put aside".

This is a particular concern in Kent where some areas have the highest infection rates in the country, with Medway and Swale taking turns at the top.

Dr Jack Jacobs, from Hamstreet surgery in Ashford, said: "Rates are high or getting high and it's a very worrying time and I'm worried about pressure on hospitals at the moment.

"If you look at the scientific evidence we know that when people mix the cases go up and unfortunately locally we're high at the moment.

"As much as I want to meet up with family and friends at Christmas I worry particularly about people who could be at high risk. So seeing elderly residents is something I would avoid doing this Christmas."

Downing Street insisted there were no plans to change the “Christmas bubble” policy despite the fears.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told people to be "extremely careful" about who they see in the run-up to Christmas.

He said: “The point of this (relaxation of rules) is for, under certain circumstances, families who wish to, to get together, but they really have to be very, very careful.

“And in particular, incredibly careful if they’re around people who are vulnerable, who are at very high risk of this virus.”

England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty also struck a cautious tone, saying people should not meet at Christmas just because they can.

He told the No 10 press conference: “The point of this (relaxation of rules) is for, under certain circumstances, families who wish to, to get together, but they really have to be very, very careful.

“And in particular, incredibly careful if they’re around people who are vulnerable, who are at very high risk of this virus.”

He said the vaccine will “give us a way out”, but that will not happen by Christmas or in the two months afterwards.

He said: “We need to be really conscious of the fact that only by protecting one another, and particularly protecting the vulnerable over this period, are we going to get through to the point where people have been properly protected, and we can return to having the kinds of relationships with family that all of us want.”

He said there is a “really difficult balance between doing things that are the least damaging we can achieve, whilst keeping the virus under control – walking that really narrow path”.

“It’s much better not to do it when there’s this kind of virus about,” he added.

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