Atherstone on ignoring coronavirus crisis: If you go down to the woods today for a get together, you could have a stranger's death on your conscience

Atherstone has reacted angrily to people blatantly sticking two fingers up at social distancing advice as Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to order a widespread lockdown to slow the coronavirus pandemic.

Town holidaymakers returning from Spain and France have told of "horror" stories in how those countries are dealing with the crisis – with a mixture of quarantines, curfews, police threatening people with fines or forcibly returning them to where they came from.

Local social media is in meltdown over flouting the two-metre rule while an Atherstone clinician cited encountering street get-togethers, pub chats, conversations about how it will all blow over – and walking round Hartshill Hayes woodland "in groups" where dozens of cars were parked up yesterday as our picture shows.

She spoke of how colleagues in the NHS were falling ill, and even dying.

"How many of you still out and about have that on their minds," she asked. "How many have watched a deteriorating patients die?"

She urged the local population while putting on her protective workwear to "sit your asses down, stay in and do as you are told".

On Atherstone People's Form, Paul Sampson posted: "If people don't take notice it will be total lockdown in a couple of days.

"I witnessed it in Spain last week it will be a big shock to some."

Auguste Bishop added: "We have just escaped from Spanish lockdown, curfew, quarantine (not just social isolation), followed by the French version which herded hundreds of UK motorhomes and caravans along the main toll motorways, threatening people with fines and forcibly moving them on or returning them to where they came from.

"All in all it created a fearsome situation though some others –and not just police and emergency workers – were allowed certain controlled liberties."

Helen Hutchinson asked: "Is there any reason why the good people of Atherstone, or at least the ones I have seen, don't seem to give a toss about the two-metre rule and social distancing.

"I have ask three people today please respect the two-metre guidelines as I don't want you next to me."

Forum founder Pete Farrugia commented: "I don't think fresh air provides immunity, and those of you who are meeting in large groups outside are killing each other."

Tracey Leigh Riley posted a disturbing comment claiming a number of people on 14-day isolation, after displaying symptoms, were seen over the weekend going for a pub lunch, on road trips and house parties.

Ms Riley added: "You are the reason this virus will spread and you will be contributing towards the death of many people in this country

She warned it's a stark choice between "isolating for a few weeks" – or watching "people you love die".

The angry backlash has came as an 18-year-old was thought to have become the youngest victim of the virus in Britain as the number of deaths in the UK rises to 335 out of 5,837 cases.

There are growing fears that Britain is on a similar trajectory to Italy – scene of the world's worst outbreak – where the death toll passed 5,000 over the weekend. There have been 5,476 deaths in 59,138 cases of the virus

The Italian government was one of a number of European countries to announce new or extended restrictions - with Germany banning public gatherings of more than two people not from the same household.

Spain's cases leapt alarmingly in one day – up 4,300 to 33,089 while deaths rose by 410 to 2,206. France has 16,481 cases and death toll of 674.

Germany continues to buck the trend in fatalities. Out of 28,784 confirmed, it has recorded 116 deaths which a mortality rate of 0.4 per cent. Britain's is more than 14 times worse at 5.7 per cent with France on 4.09 per cent, Spain 6.6 per cent and Italy an alarming 9.2 per cent of confirmed cases.

Worldwide, nearly 350,000 people have been infected and more than 15,000 have died from the virus that first emerged in central China late last year.

As cases in China ebbed, the dangers to Europe and the US have grown exponentially. After just weeks, the US has more than 33,000 cases and more than 400 deaths.

Worldwide, some 99,000 people have recovered, mostly in China.

Boris Johnson is under mounting pressure to order a widespread lockdown after thousands of people ignored calls for "social distancing" to slow the coronavirus pandemic.

As the Prime Minister appeared to delay his normal 5pm press conference to chair an emergency meeting instead, he said he will be thinking "very, very actively" about what steps to take if people continue to gather in large numbers in defiance of calls to stay apart.

The National Trust took the decision ahead of Mother's Day to close its parks and gardens as of midnight on Saturday to help "restrict the spread of the coronavirus". It made no difference to many people across the UK, out to enjoy themselves with limited entertainment opportunities.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the Government "may have to take further action" if people continue to flout social distancing rules of staying two metres away from each other.

He told Sky News: "This is not the sort of thing that anybody would want to do but, of course, it is the sort of thing we might have to do in order to protect life.

"If you do go out, you must not get closer than two metres from someone who isn't in your household.

"It is a really simple rule and incredibly important, because to protect life and the NHS we need to stop the spread of this virus and the virus spreads by people coming into close contact with each other."

Police Federation of England and Wales chairman John Apter admitted today there is "significant confusion" over whether officers should be enforcing coronavirus restrictions and a "considerable" number are already in self-isolation.

The body representing rank-and-file officers has warned hit out at a "lack of clarity" from Government and policing bodies on the role for officers in tackling the crisis.

His comments came after the Health Secretary said ministers were examining the curfews and restrictions imposed in Europe as a method of controlling the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Hancock warned authorities, including the police, could be required to order people to follow the rules on social distancing and "nothing is off the table" if further curbs on people's freedoms were required to slow the progress of Covid-19 through the UK.

On the High Street, big names are announcing temporary or "for the foreseeable" closures.

They include McDonalds, shutting up all its 1,300 restaurants in the UK and Ireland from 7pm tonight – affecting 135,000 workers.

On Sunday, Primark confirmed that it was closing all 189 of its UK stores – and impacting on 37,000 jobs. Also late yesterday evening, Nando's said it would be closing more than 400 restaurants in the UK.

Costa Coffee said it would be temporarily closing all stores from Monday evening

It added that it would "do our best" to keep Costa stores open in hospitals where NHS staff will be given free takeaway coffee for the next two weeks.

Staff at closed stores will be paid their full average weekly pay over eight weeks.

Restaurant chains that have closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak include Pizza Express, TGI Fridays and Bill's.

Zizzi, Ask Italian and Prezzo were the first to implement temporary closures on Thursday, before a full closure of pubs and restaurants was announced by the Prime Minister.

Other fast food restaurants such as Burger King, Subway and KFC remain open but have changed to "take away" only.

Meanwhile, the hunt for masks, ventilators and other medical supplies has consumed not only Britain, but Europe and the US, as more than 1.5 billion people – a fifth of the world's population – were asked or ordered to stay home to try to blunt the spread of the coronavirus.

In New York, where a near-lockdown took effect statewide over the weekend amid fears the city could become one of the world's biggest hotspots, mayor Bill de Blasio warned that hospitals are 10 days away from shortages in "really basic supplies" needed to protect healthcare workers and patients alike.

A surge in infections has caused a critical shortage of medical supplies in many places. Italy has already seen 18 doctors with coronavirus die.

A senior Spanish health official called the infection of 3,910 healthcare workers, roughly 12 per cent of the country's total cases, "very bad news".

Healthcare workers have said they are being asked to reuse and ration disposable masks and gloves. A shortage of ventilators - crucial for treating serious cases of the virus - has become critical.