Lockdown restrictions in England will remain in place for as “long as they are necessary”, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said as plans are made to administer vaccines 24-hours a day.

Mr Hancock urged people not to “take the mickey” out of the restrictions, but said it was “impossible to know” when they could be eased.

Meanwhile, among widespread unease that the vaccination roll-out isn't moving fast enough, it has emerged the Government is planning to administer jabs around the clock.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the coronavirus vaccine programme would be in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week “as soon as we can”.

Earlier Mr Hancock said: “We will keep the restrictions in place not a moment longer than they are necessary, but we will keep them in place as long as they are necessary,” he told Sky News.

“These measures that we have got in place that we hope to be able to lift – and we should be able to lift, when we have been able to protect through vaccination those who are vulnerable – right now, the vaccination is not in a position to do that.”

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Mr Hancock said the current rules were always “under review” but “what really matters now is the degree to which everybody follows the existing rules.”

He added: “Of course you can always make changes at the margin, but we brought in a very significant restriction, the stay at home measures… It is possible then to make further restrictions, but what I’d say is that the most important thing is compliance with the existing measures, that’s the thing that is going to make the difference.”