Councils and public health officials have the power to demolish buildings and even homes infected with coronavirus, it has emerged.
As a last resort for preventing the spread of the disease, powers granted to local authorities – with the permission of a magistrate – could see anything from a car to a train destroyed.
The revelation comes as Boris Johnson remains determined to avoid a second nationwide lockdown at all costs, and has chosen to empower councils to properly enforce localised lockdowns.
In the recently published COVID-19 contain framework guide, local decision making related to the disease is placed in the hands of Directors of Public Health, supported by council chief executives.
