Tory ministers today announced a major new exemption for young parents in England’s national lockdown.

Babies and toddlers will no longer count towards a two-person limit on meet-ups in an open space, like a park.

It means, for example, that new mums will still be able to see a friend or family member while holding their baby.

The rules are part of the month-long national lockdown which begins in England from 12.01am on Thursday.

Social mixing, indoors or outdoors, will be banned between people not from the same household or bubble.