Coronavirus spike pauses plans to allow fans back to sport stadiums from October 1

Plans to allow fans to return to sport from 1 October have been postponed, Michael Gove has confirmed.

That plan will now be “paused”, the Cabinet Office Minister confirmed after a series of test pilot events over the last month, due to a spike in coronavirus cases.

“We’ve been piloting some open air venues and we do want to be able in due course to allow people to return to watch football and other sporting events,” Gove told BBC Breakfast.

"We need to be cautious at the moment and I think a mass reopening at this stage wouldn’t be appropriate."

A rise in coronavirus cases over the last month saw plans revised with pilot events restricted to 1,000 people.

A number of sports have urged the government to allow them to continue with their plans, but Gove has confirmed those plans will now be put on hold.

Boris Johnson is set to outline a number of restrictions in a Commons speech later and a TV address to the nation tonight.