Boris Johnson has dismissed criticisms from the Conservative leader of Bolton Council about restrictions in the borough being ‘too complicated’.

At Prime Minister's Questions yesterday, opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer quoted Bolton council leader David Greenhalgh in the House of Commons.

He said: “There are major problems and widespread confusion about local restrictions and it’s not just the Prime Minister not knowing his own rules. Let me quote to him the Conservative leader of Bolton Council. He said this about the Government’s handling of restrictions, ‘it’s breeding resentment, it’s becoming too complex, too complicated, people feel very let down, very frustrated and very forgotten’.

“If the Prime Minister doesn’t understand the rules and his own Tory council leaders are complaining about mixed messaging how does he expect the rest of the country to understand  and follow the rules?”

Mr Johnson replied: “Nobody wants to impose restrictions of this kind we work closely with local authorities for the right mix to adopt.

“With the virus going up you have to take strong local action does appear the illness this time is more localised

“These direct restrictions are in addition to the strong national measures whose affect we hope to see soon. The people of this country do understand and do follow the rules in spite of the effort of the leader of the opposition to snipe from the sidelines and undermine what we are trying to do."

“I think people do understand and I think people want us to defeat this virus and they want to see us doing it together.

“He should show some support. Let him try and instil some confidence in the British people on these measures which he supports.”