Eileen Pirie, Neil Ferguson's mother-in-law, said the Imperial College scientist was working long hours and had been splitting his time between his flat in London and the family home in Oxford.

The timing of the disclosure that Prof Ferguson met his married lover during the lockdown on the day the UK became 'Europe's sick man' has raised questions about who blew the whistle.

Bond aficionados will know that early in each story comes an inaugural meeting between hero and foe. A chance encounter over highballs, perhaps, or a high-stakes hand of chemin de fer.

Gyms in the UK are unlikely to reopen until at least the autumn with October being touted as a realistic return date for fitness fanatics, according to reports.

Boris Johnson today announced he is hoping to begin easing the UK's coronavirus lockdown on Monday as Matt Hancock suggested cafes could reopen if they have outdoor areas.

Don Sheppard who lives with his wife of more than 50 years, Sandra, in Laindon, Essex, says he was nearly overwhelmed with the stunning birthday tributes which took place on Monday.

The world's media has lined up to savage Britain's coronavirus response this week after the UK's death toll surpassed Italy's to become the worst in Europe.

Boris Johnson's Downing Street Twitter account has started pumping out the more nuanced message as the Prime Minister said some draconian rules he imposed on March 23 will be lifted.

The proposals are to be split into five stages over the coming months, and a leaked version of the plan has suggested the first changes on Monday will see unlimited exercise allowed.

Dominic Raab tonight announced there is 'no change' yet to the UK's coronavirus lockdown rules as he urged Britons not to take advantage of sunny bank holiday weather.

Emergency planners have already been warned London's transport system could be overwhelmed by demand when the coronavirus lockdown is eased in some form.

Boris Johnson is caught in a struggle between those who want him to move faster to end the lockdown and those who fear it would trigger a second wave of coronavirus - as death toll rises to 30,615.

In an article saluting veterans on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, Keir Starmer said the care sector needs attention after the pandemic to help those who 'protected our country in its darkest hour'.

The Prime Minister told the cabinet he will proceed with 'maximum caution' when it comes to easing restrictions, to avoid another rise in coronavirus cases in the UK.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain, Stanley Johnson admitted he prayed for his son's life when the Prime Minister was in intensive care after struggling with coronavirus.

A plan for the phased reopening of schools is expected to be announced by Boris Johnson when he unveils his lockdown exit strategy on Sunday.

Stephen Powis, NHS England's national medical director, said the first results of clinical trials - testing drugs like hydroxychloroquine -are expected in 'five to seven weeks'.

Professor Robert Dingwall said Britain had 'completely lost sight' of the true nature of the disease because 'mostly it isn't' killing people.

Guidance slipped out earlier this week states that domestic helpers 'can continue work' in people's homes, 'providing that you are well and have no symptoms'.

First Minister Mark Drakeford pre-empted the 'exit strategy' from Westminster as he declared that only 'small and modest' easings are possible to avoid coronavirus flaring up.

DR JOHN LEE: The survival of the British economy, the very future of our society and the hopes of generations to come will depend upon Boris Johnson's words.

The Government is relying on the 'R' figure - the average number of people a coronavirus patient infects - to tell them when it is safe to unlock the UK. But experts have said the measure it is 'too crude'.

The actress, 78, made the shocking comments in a rant on Channel 4 comedy chat show The Last Leg on Friday night.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was confronted by a member of the public as he walked through St James's Park this morning. This was the fourth time this week the PM has been seen holding a coffee cup.

GARY NEVILLE: On Monday night, Sir Alex Ferguson would have celebrated with his title-winning team and enjoyed the evening. But on Tuesday night, he'd have been watching Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Europe and he will have thought: 'Right, that's where we're going.'

For four years we have been treated to something special. It was as though their football was from another planet. But I sat in the Nou Camp and watched Bayern Munich complete a staggering 7-0 aggregate victory over Barcelona.

An exclusive insight into the greatest manager Britain has ever had from the man who spent his whole career at Manchester United and knows him best.

It is always a sign of a classic team that you can name the full line-up without pausing for thought. I am still able to automatically reel off Jose Mourinho’s great Chelsea team of 2005.

For a long period of my career, I was lucky enough to play behind David Beckham. It was a privilege because he was such a quality player.

Andre Villas-Boas ruffled a few feathers by complaining about a ‘difficult atmosphere with no support’ at White Hart Lane after Tottenham’s narrow 1-0 win against Hull last Sunday.

There are matches that stand out in my career which some people might find strange. They’re not the big matches, like Champions League finals. They are games like a 1-0 win against Bolton at the Reebok Stadium in January 2009.

Sunday sees the premiere of The Class of '92 charting the extraordinary rise of a band of Manchester United youngsters. One of them, Gary Neville, sits down with another, Paul Scholes, and coach Eric Harrison.

At the end of last season, many people in English football were talking about the potential of Spanish and German clubs to dominate the Champions League in the future. On the back of a poor season for English clubs in that tournament, the dominance of Bayern Munich and the impact of Borussia Dortmund, it might have seemed as though the Premier League was being left behind.

UFO Fest in McMinnville, Oregon, celebrates its 20th anniversary in May. It began after a local farmer photographed an alleged UFO outside the small town. More than 20,000 visitors are expected.

Jet2 members of the pilots' union, the British Airline Pilots' Association (Balpa), are calling on the airline to recognise the need for 'improved work-life balance through fairer rostering patterns'.

Airbnb has teamed up with the Louvre to let one lucky competition winner and a guest see what happens inside the building once the lights go out.

Design firm Haeco Cabin Solutions showcased its new Eclipse seat at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, explaining that it's for 'long-haul premium economy'.

HBO has announced it's opening The Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Northern Ireland in Spring 2020. The tour will bring visitors face-to-face with original sets, costumes and props from the show.

They've been published in a new book called Ruin and Redemption in Architecture, which charts ruined spaces around the world and the designs that have totally transformed them.

After a long panto season stage-weary Jonathan Wilkes swapped Stoke-on-Trent for the Caribbean sunshine. During two weeks with P&O cruises he sampled the best the islands have to offer.

The new design, called Skyrider 3.0, is similar to previous incarnations of the seat. However, it does not have a pole between the seats to connect them to the floor and ceiling, as the previous version did.

These pictures will make even the most confident climber's palms sweat. That's because they show some of the world's bravest daredevils proving that they have limitless reserves of derring-do.

They are actually wacky tents offered as accommodation by the National Trust and hang from trees at the Low Wray camp site close to the shores of Lake Windermere in Cumbria.

Post Office Travel Money Holiday Costs Barometer, which compares costs in 20 European beach resorts, found prices in Sunny Beach have plunged - despite the pound's volatility.

Ever since Errol Flynn moored his boat to party there with the Hollywood crowd in the Sixties, the island has had a showbiz party reputation. Sarah White visits and discovers its opulent side.

Patrick Leigh Fermor, known to his friends as Paddy, was a British author and soldier during WWII. Here his biographer reveals how he fell in love with the Mani Peninsula in Southern Greece.

Nigel Colborn presents a varied selection of Britain's most inspiring spring gardens, with mazes, fragrant bluebell woods, impressive greenhouses and appetising tea rooms among the highlights.

These amazing images show the Algar do Carvão in the Azores, an incredible volcanic vent formed during an eruption 2,000 years ago. Now, lockdowns permitting, it can be explored on foot.

The home rental site is offering 50 virtual experiences from around the world, staring from £1, as a 'new way for people to connect, travel virtually and earn income' during the coronavirus crisis.

Rising in jaw-dropping fashion out of the picture-perfect Seppeltsfield vineyard in Australia's Barossa region, this 12-storey building will be a sight to behold when it opens in 2022.