A LEADING microbiologist has raised doubts over plans to abolish Covid-19 restrictions in England next month.

He warned today that there could be a “huge number of cases" as the Indian variant of coronavirus surges. 

Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia said that the date of June 21 for the end of the current lockdown could be in doubt if the Indian variant leads to an increase in cases among the elderly and more people needing hospital care.