Calls for Government to rule out return to 'complicated' Tier system in roadmap

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to release a "roadmap" on Monday to set out how restrictions will be relaxed in the coming months.

Now they have been called on to rule out a return to the Tier system – set out in Autumn last year – and instead focus on a simpler message.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "Now, tiering – we made it work in the Autumn but I think there's two points to draw from it.

"There's actually a real simplicity of the message with the national situation and what we've found with the tiering system is it became incredibly complicated – people were dodging it, frankly, going for a drink in Bromsgrove when they weren't allowed in Birmingham.

"And, of course, we did spend – and I was probably part of this – and enormous amount of time anticipating it, planning, lobbying, and that time could've been spent in other ways – so I hope the Government will go for a national arrangement next week."

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said the "fragmentation" caused by the Tier system made it "difficult" for the police to enforce the rules.

He said: "It's got to be national restrictions – in some cases you see the absurdity [of the Tier system, when] one part of a town is in one Tier and another part of the town is in another.

"And that is truly ridiculous and for people moving across the country, you need one set of rules – particularly from my point of view, from the police's point of view, you need a set of rules that are consistent across the country otherwise you create all sorts of problems in the enforcement.

"I hope it'll be a national announcement and a national picture – because the fragmentation we had before was very difficult to enforce for all organisations, but particularly for police."

Councillor Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, added "I agree we shouldn't have a return to the Tier system – it's very complicated around the messaging as you've said. Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said it's very, very difficult to enforce and to prevent people from moving around the country."