What Warrington looked like on the first day of lockdown 3

These forlorn images of the town centre were captured by photographer Dave Gillespie on Tuesday and followed Boris Johnson's 'stay at home' order on Monday night.

Just a few people were out for essential goods as they passed rows of shuttered up shops and temporary closure notices in some of Warrington's busiest streets.

In normal times, they would be full of people shopping in the January sales and workers nipping out for a bite to eat.

The Prime Minister addressed the nation and issued new rules for a third lockdown and the closure of schools at the 11th hour – plunging businesses into further misery and complicating work, education and childcare arrangements for families with young children.

He described it as a necessary step until at least mid February to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed.

The third lockdown is to contain a new strain of the coronavirus, which is much more contagious, until the vaccine is rolled out to society's most vulnerable.

The latest Public Health England figures show that more than 1,000 new cases of coronavirus have been recorded in Warrington in a week.

At Warrington Hospital meanwhile, the number of patients being cared for has surpassed the number recorded at the peak of the first wave of the virus.