PM lays wreath as country prepares for low-key Remembrance Sunday

Boris Johnson has laid a wreath in his constituency as the country prepares to mark Remembrance Sunday differently this year.

The Prime Minister paid his respects to the war dead at Uxbridge War Memorial in west London at a low-key event on Saturday.

With social distancing restrictions in place across the UK and a full lockdown in England, the UK Government has encouraged councils to ensure remembrance services are short, entirely outdoors and held in front of limited numbers.

Churches in England, while open, cannot host services due to a ban on communal worship during the four-week lockdown to tackle the spread of coronavirus.

However, The Telegraph reported that ministers had issued separate warnings to local authorities calling on them to discourage the public from attending local events during the second wave of infections.

The newspaper reported that councils had been sent guidance saying: “Members of the public are legally permitted to stop and watch the event as spectators, but event organisers should take reasonable steps to discourage the public from attending events, and be mindful of the risk that such events pose, especially to veterans, who are often elderly.”

Event organisers in some parts of the country are replacing the usual parades and public commemorations by asking people to pay their respects on their doorsteps in order to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19.

The Royal British Legion is encouraging people to download a poppy and donate online after announcing that “for the first time in poppy appeal history there will be no collectors on our streets”.

BBC One will air a Festival of Remembrance on Saturday evening, which will include participation from Captain Sir Tom Moore following his fundraising exploits for the NHS during the spring lockdown.