BOLTON tonight escaped being hit with stricter restrictions over its high Covid rate linked to the more transmissible 'Indian variant'.

However, the prime minister said that the strain could make it “more difficult” for England to move to step four of the government’s road map out of lockdown in June when all restrictions will be lifted.

But for now indoor hospitality and indoor leisure venues will be allowed to reopen on Monday in line with the planned road map.

The PM said the army would be deployed on the streets of Blackburn and Bolton handing out tests to help the surge testing efforts.

The Prime Minister told the Downing Street press conference: “I do not believe that we need, on the present evidence, to delay our road map and we will proceed with our plan to move to step three in England from Monday.

“But I have to level with you that this new variant could pose a serious disruption to our progress and could make it more difficult to move to step four in June.”

Boris Johnson said that if the Indian variant proves to be “significantly more transmissible” than other strains “we’re likely to face some hard choices”

Speaking to the conference, he said: “I’m told that if it is only marginally more transmissible we can continue more or less as planned but if the variant is significantly more transmissible we’re likely to face some hard choices.”

But he said there is “no evidence to suggest that our vaccines will be less effective in protecting people against severe illness and hospitalisation”.

As such, second doses of coronavirus vaccines will be accelerated for the over-50s and the clinically vulnerable across the country to be given eight weeks after the first dose amid a rise in cases of the Indian variant, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

He told the conference: “I believe we should trust in our vaccines to protect the public whilst monitoring the situation as it develops very closely because the race between our vaccination programme and the virus may be about to become a great deal tighter and it’s more important than ever therefore that people get the protection of a second dose.

“So following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation we will accelerate remaining second doses to the over-50s and those clinically vulnerable right across the country so those doses come just eight weeks after the first dose.”

He added: “We will also prioritise first doses for anyone eligible who has not yet come forward including the over 40s.”