Hundreds of people appeared to break coronavirus restrictions in Nottingham on Saturday and later there even appeared to be a ‘street party’ nearby. 

Pictures shared online showed large crowds gathered in Old Market Square, with organizers admitting that ‘unprecedented high footfall’ forced them to temporarily shut the outdoor market.

It comes as Christmas shoppers nationwide turned out in full for England’s first weekend following a second national lockdown.

On Sunday, the Mellors Group — which operates the Christmas market — said it would shut following the scenes on Saturday, which onlookers described as ‘crazy’. 

The city was placed in tier three – the harshest category – of the new Covid-19 restrictions, which came into force in England on Wednesday.