Residents in south Cumbria and across the UK returning from travel in high-risk countries will be required to quarantine in hotels for 10 days.

The Government had already banned all travel from 22 countries where new variants have spawned, including South Africa and Portugal.

However, speaking in the Commons yesterday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I can announce that we will require all such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in Government-provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days without exception."

Arrivals from high-risk countries will be met at the airport and moved to quarantine facilities.

The policy was confirmed yesterday by Prime Minister Boris Johnson who also said all travellers would be questioned about their purpose of travel.

Mr Johnson added: "I want to make clear that under the stay-at-home regulations it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel."

Home secretary Priti Patel has backed the policy and claimed that arrivals were not complying with the previous rules to quarantine at home.