In Pictures: Shops and gyms reopen doors as England’s lockdown comes to an end

With non-essential businesses reopening as England’s national lockdown ended, many were quick to avail themselves of their newly-rediscovered freedoms.

Queues formed outside shops while it was still dark, with early birds filling their boots, and many took an opportunity to shift some extra lockdown kilos by attending gyms or even defying bracing December conditions to use a lido in London.

With the news that a vaccine has been approved for use in the UK, many returned to activities in the hope that lockdowns will soon be a distant memory, although safety measures are still in place with England divided into a system of three tiers.