'Disappointing' and 'disgraceful': Shoppers in Wolverhampton have say on Christmas U-turn over Covid rules
Shoppers in the Black Country branded the Prime Minister's U-turn over Christmas as "disgraceful" and said people would do what they wanted.
While others said the one day rule should have been brought in weeks ago.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced on Saturday that London and the South East were to go into a new two-week lockdown in an attempt to get the disease back under control and people across the rest of England were told that household mixing over the festive period would be restricted to Christmas Day only.
Mother and daughter Frances Gibson and Isabelle Waring were shopping in Wolverhampton city centre.
Frances, 89, from Kingswinford, said the latest news was "disgraceful".
She added: "Business are closing down, people are going to just break the rules."
Isabelle, 65, said: "It's quite depressing, I have a friend whose son lives in London.
"My mum lives on her own so she's spending Christmas with us."
Denise Braden was in the city centre with her granddaughter Molly Braden and great-grandson Rowan, aged two.
Molly, 22, said: "My three kids are missing out, it's hard.
"I've had twins and my partner had to leave us in hospital after I had a caesarean.
"There are all these restrictions but a lot of people don't abide by them." Denise, 67, said: "It's the right thing to do and he should have done it a few weeks ago.
"I feel sorry for people who are on their own.
"There's a few people who are spoiling it."
Old school friends Maria D'Souza, Manu Camus and Joanne Rama, all 18, met up outside in Wolverhampton after being away at separate universities.
Manu said: "It doesn't affect me that much, our Christmases are quite small anyway, so it's not going to change much for me.
"It just feels like the same old, you get used to going in and out of lockdown.
"I am maybe concerned about the new strain of coronavirus but not actively worrying about it."
Maria added: "We've got quite a tight unit family and we hadn't really made any plans.
"It's nice we still have some freedom."
Joanne said: "At the start of Covid everyone was taking it seriously but I feel maybe people aren't taking it seriously now. It just keeps changing."
Kate Penman said the news was the "hardest emotional blow" this year.
The 46-year-old said: "It's not changing our plans. It's disappointing I think, especially for my parents not being able to see their grandchildren.
"It's the constant uncertainty.
"My brother and wife and children are in Surrey so they're Tier 4 after being Tier 2 not that long ago."
