From three piers to the third tier: How Blackpool is reacting to life under the strictest Covid restrictions

But yesterday, more than 30 weeks later, following what he called “tough discussions, difficult decisions”, Boris again shoved Lancashire into an abyss of measures which he admitted will "damage local businesses, curtail individual freedom, and impose significant strains on people’s mental health”.

As the resort picks itself up, dusts itself down, and steadies itself once more, shoppers, business owners, and tourists voiced their own opinions – and fears for the immediate future.

Student Ben Yardley, 19, lives in Accrington but his parents work in the resort. He said: “I came with them just for something to do but it’s not the same.

"Everywhere seems to be open but people are keeping themselves to themselves.

"I’m a social person and I like to have a chat with people but people seem a bit scared of speaking to each other now.”

Visitor Elizabeth Brown, 69, from Derbyshire, was in the town with Anne Elsey, 74.

She said: “We booked last week and we saw on the news about Lancashire being one of the worst places for coronavirus.

"We hummed and hawed about it and then we both said, ‘Let’s just try and enjoy ourselves’.”

Anne added: “At least this way we’re getting some nice sea air and it’s a change of scenery.

"Let’s just hope our lovely hotel is still here when we come back next year.”

Alan Meadows, 58, from Cleveleys, was selling masks from a stall in the town centre.

He said: “Everything seems the same except for the pubs.

"You can’t blame the Government for this.

"They’re damned if they do and damned if they don’t.

"At least they’re keeping the shops and hotels open, so it’s not the end of the world.”

But bed and breakfast owners in Blackpool said they face a “bleak” future as guests cancel bookings.

October is traditionally one of the busiest periods for the resort as crowds flock to see the Illuminations during the school half-term holidays, local business owners said.

But they fear the new measures, which came into force today, will drive tourists away, despite some attractions remaining open.

Adam Mayes, who runs the 10-bedroom Phoenix Guest House in Cocker Street, said the restrictions were a “kick in the teeth” for B&B owners.

He said: “Since tier three was announced, we have already lost £500 of bookings for the next two weeks.

"Half-term for us is usually our busiest week of the whole year, and now we are down to just six bookings.

"So now we are considering closing for the remainder of the year because it does not feel worthwhile to remain open.

"It’s a bit bleak.”

Mr Mayes said many prospective guests were under the impression that Blackpool was now “closed” due to the new restrictions.

But he said some pubs will be serving sit-down meals, meaning they can remain open, while the Illuminations will stay switched on until January 3.

Around 1.5 million people in Lancashire are now living under the most severe coronavirus controls, with pubs and bars required to close unless they can serve meals and meeting friends and family living elsewhere effectively outlawed.

Residents in “high alert” level areas can travel to hotels, but should only do so with their own household or support bubble, according to Government advice.

Stewart Norris, owner of the Sutton Park B&B in Woodfield Road, Blackpool, said he had lost about £1,500 in bookings since the measures were announced.

He said: “For this weekend, next weekend and the weekend after, we are looking at eight cancellations of different groups of guests.

“On a Saturday night in October we would normally be fully booked with families and couples, but instead we have two double rooms arriving tonight, and that’s only because their travel agent won’t refund them.”

Mr Norris, whose B&B has 10 rooms, said he had managed to move some bookings to next year as guests had “given up on 2020”.

Meanwhile, Kerry Humphries, licensee of The Mitre pub, said she had to temporarily close yesterday as her premises did not have a “major food menu”.

She said: “To be fair, our brewery Star Pubs and Bars said pubs which have shut down completely don’t have to pay rent.

"Without that we would be pulling our hair out.

“The issue is that they (the Government) have put us into tier three, but I have not seen anywhere how long that could last for.”

Revellers enjoyed a relatively quiet autumn night out on Friday, just hours before the resort was plunged into the strictest restrictions, with nights out with pals now banned, while pubs and bars which don’t serve food forced to close.

Earlier, at a Downing Street press conference, the Government’s chief scientific adviser said local areas could introduce “extra measures” on top of the tier three restrictions because the alert level’s “baseline” is not enough alone to reduce infection rates.

Sir Patrick Vallance said “local knowledge and local insight” would help inform further measures to drive the R number below one.

His comments echoed those of England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, who last week said that the flexibility within the new three-tier system of alert levels for England could see “additional” measures guided by local leaders.

Sir Patrick said: “It’s crucial that where the R is above one and the numbers are high, to get the R below one for all the reasons that have been outlined, including, of course, the hospitalisations which are increasing.

"So it’s crucial that’s done and there are a number of ways that it can be done.

"And as the chief medical officer said, tier three baseline conditions on their own almost certainly aren’t enough to get the R below one.

"But if you go to higher levels in tier three and start adding in other areas then they should be enough to get R below one, provided they are fully implemented and we all stick to them.”

The reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission across the UK still remains above one. R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect.

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