Independent bookmakers reeling after Tier 4 restrictions force mass closures

Independent bookmakers were still coming to terms on Monday with the devastating impact betting shop closures under Tier 4 restrictions will have on their businesses, with particular anxiety over how long shops may have to remain closed as the UK government attempts to contain the spread of a new strain of Covid-19.

London and parts of the south-east and east of England moved into Tier 4 on Sunday morning, meaning non-essential retail outlets, including betting shops, had to close in those areas only weeks after shops reopened following a second national lockdown.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that the new variant of the virus, which may be up to 70 per cent more transmissible, was "getting out of control" and raised the possibility of strict measures remaining in place for months until a coronavirus vaccine is widely rolled out.