Sort out young people flouting social distancing before you put over-50s into lockdown, Boris Johnson told

BORIS Johnson has been urged to prioritise getting young people to follow social distancing rules.

As Downing Street mulls whether to impose new shielding restrictions on millions of over-50s, the PM has been warned that such a policy would be "ageist" and "ill-thought-out".

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In a bid to avoid another national lockdown, Brits aged between 50 and 70 could be given personalised risk ratings in a move that would add to the 2.2million people who shielded during the spring peak,  reports.

But Joan Bakewell, a former Government adviser, told the that ministers needed to tackle the issue of young people flouting restrictions ahead of examining new rules for the older generation.

She said: "Certainly older people have to take care – I have been taking great care myself – but what is happening is that young people are not distancing and they are not wearing masks. The young have got to get their act together.

"Young people assume it is over and are not distancing themselves as they should.

"They know they should, they have been told they should, but they cannot be bothered. That is the crux."

GENERATION GAP

Former Tory minister Ros Altmann also told the paper that asking over-50s to go into isolation would be "dangerous and wrong".

She said: "What we're talking about here is a group in society that is being potentially singled out for different treatment just on the basis of their age.

"It's not that the over-50s are somehow old and therefore at risk and the under-50s are young and therefore not at risk."

Labour peer Lord Foulkes added that the policy would be "ageist and ill-thought-out", and noted that "over 50s are key to our economy".

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick sought to downplay the proposals last night, denying that they were "being actively considered"; but insisting that the Government was reviewing all available options.

The warning comes after a weekend of sizzling temperatures, as young Brits flocked to the beaches to enjoy the glorious sunshine.

But pictures from popular tourist spots over the weekend show many people gathering outside bars and pubs and not social distancing.

Punters also spilled out onto the streets of Central London in the warm weather - as pubs maintain strict capacity rules inside.

Brighton and Hove Council were even forced to issue a warning to sunseekers not to visit the tourist hotspot over the weekend due to fears of crowding.

Deputy leader of Cornwall Council Adam Paynter also hit out against holidaymakers arriving in droves from other parts of the country, claiming locals were fearful it could spark a fresh wave of infections in the region.

He slammed tourists who refused to wear a mask, telling LBC they were "pretty ignorant thinking that coronavirus doesn't exist down here."

It comes as Downing Street was forced to put the brakes on plans to ease lockdown restrictions further following a concerning spike in cases.

Some 4.5 million Brits in Greater Manchester, East Lancashire and West Yorkshire saw restrictions reintroduced after a surge in infections - with people banned from meeting different households indoors.

Boris Johnson is also said to be considering bursting the "bubble" system which allows separate households to meet under one roof, after scientific advisers said that too much mingling between family groups was the main cause of an alarming rise in infections.