British police said they arrested 104 Londoners on Thursday for breach of coronavirus regulations, adding that they expected more arrests as policing operations continued into the night.
People gathered in central London despite new restrictions that have been imposed to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
"Tonight, a crowd of people chose to ignore the new regulations, to behave irresponsibly and meet in a dangerous manner. More than 100 of these people have now been arrested and will have to face the consequences of their actions", the Metropolitan Police said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday ordered England back into a national lockdown from Thursday morning after the United Kingdom passed the milestone of one million COVID-19 cases and a second wave of infections threatened to overwhelm the health service.
People have been ordered to stay at home to combat a surge in new infections that scientists say could, if unchecked, cause more deaths than a first wave that forced a three-month lockdown earlier this year.
"I would continue to urge people across the city to keep yourselves safe and stick to the regulations," Met Police Commander Jane Connors said.
(Reporting by Rebekah Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler and Cynthia Osterman)
