Punters return to betting shops at the start of long road back to normality

The high street sprang back to life on Monday, but for anyone in England or Wales who popped into their local bookmakers it was more of a muted experience than a joyous celebration.

While the two barbers on the busy A13 through Poplar in the East End of London were at capacity and the two cashpoints had socially distanced queues reaching around the corner, the three betting shops had a grand total of two customers between them at lunchtime, with strict new regulations in place meaning anything designed to keep customers in the shop had been stripped back.

There were no live pictures, with the day's opener from Huntingdon a commentary-only affair. Only two visits a day are permitted, with a break in between required, while no seating and only two FOBTs in action adds to the get-in, get-out feel.