Coronavirus cases in England have doubled since June with 4,200 people getting infected every day

Coronavirus cases in England are now at the highest levels since May and government scientists are 'no longer confident' the crucial R rate is below the dreaded level of one.

Government statisticians today admitted there is 'now enough evidence' to prove Covid-19 infections are on the up, calculating that 4,200 people are now catching the virus each day in England alone.

The estimate by the Office for National Statistics, which tracks the size of the outbreak by swabbing thousands of people, has doubled since the end of June and is 68 per cent up on the 2,500 figure given a fortnight ago.

One in 1,500 people currently have the coronavirus - 0.07 per cent of the population. But experts believe the rate is twice as high in London and still rising. The figure does not include care homes and hospitals.

It comes as health chiefs today announced 120 more coronavirus deaths and 880 more cases, in the highest daily toll since June 28.

Boris Johnson today admitted ministers 'can't ignore this evidence' as he announced he was 'squeezing the brake pedal' on easing the coronavirus lockdown.

The rattled Prime Minister warned coronavirus cases have started to 'creep up' and as a result the Government has no choice but to delay the further reopening of the economy. Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty added 'we have probably reached near the limit or the limits of what we can do'.

Top scientists insist Britain must learn to live with the virus and control flare-ups through measures No 10 already has in its locker. Businesses fear another blanket lockdown - which the PM admitted he doesn't want to adopt in the future - would cause even more catastrophic damage to an economy already in tatters.

Number 10's scientific advisers today also upped the R rate in the UK, saying they now believe it stands between 0.8 and 0.9. It had been as low as 0.7 since May.

SAGE also revealed the growth rate - the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects - may have jumped to above one in the South West, home to the stay-cation hotspots of Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. And they said it was likely to be equally high in the North West. Matt Hancock last night announced tough new lockdown measures in Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire.