Boris Johnson has warned people across the UK that the best Mother's Day gift is not to visit your loved ones.

The Prime Minister is calling on families not to heighten the risk of spreading the virus by spending time with their mothers, as the NHS could become 'overwhelmed'. 

He said: "This time, the best thing is to ring her, video call her, Skype her, but to avoid any unnecessary physical contact or proximity.

"And why? Because if your mother is elderly or vulnerable, then I am afraid all the statistics show that she is much more likely to die from coronavirus, or Covid-19. We cannot disguise or sugar-coat the threat."

The number of cases is 'accelerating' after 233 people have died due to the coronavirus and more than 5,000 cases have been recorded.