The Prime Minister told a Downing Street press conference this afternoon that people should have a ““merry little Christmas”, with an emphasis on the “little”.

But he said: “I want to be clear, we don’t want to ban Christmas, to cancel it, I think that would be frankly inhuman and against the instincts of many people in this country.

“But what we are saying is that that guidance, the three households and the five days, that should really be regarded as a maximum, those are the outer limits.”

The Prime Minister said a “smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas” and also suggested people should cut short their celebrations rather than enjoy the maximum permitted five days in a festive bubble.

The relaxation of social distancing rules across the UK will go ahead despite concerns about the possible impact on efforts to control the virus.

The original UK-wide plans would have seen three households allowed to form a festive bubble between December 23 and 27.

But Mr Johnson said those were the maximum limits rather than a target to aim for.

He suggested people should reduce their contacts in the five days ahead of the festive period if they were going to mix with friends and relatives.

At the Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister admitted the coronavirus situation had deteriorated since the festive bubble rules were set by the four nations of the UK.

Mr Johnson said: “While it would not be right, we think, to criminalise people who have made plans and simply want to spend time with their loved ones, we’re collectively – across the UK governments at every level – asking you to think hard, and in detail about the days ahead.”

He said the laws were remaining the same but “a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas and a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas”.

People should avoid travelling from areas of high prevalence to regions with lower prevalence and “avoid staying away from home overnight if you can”.

Mr Johnson suggested people should consider waiting until elderly relatives have been vaccinated before meeting them.

He said: “Have yourselves a merry little Christmas – and I’m afraid this year I do mean little.

“But with the vaccine, and all the other measures that we are taking, we do know that things will be better in this country by Easter.”

Responding to a question from a member of the public about allowing mixing at Christmas, Mr Johnson said the Government had to make a “judgment” about “how people are going to behave anyway” and their “natural instinct to want to see their families”.

He added: “What we’re trying to do is to set the parameters that we think are sensible and we’ve come up with a maximum that we think is sensible across the whole of the UK.

“Everybody should exercise personal responsibility, judging yourselves how best to reduce the contact, the meeting of other people that is the way of spreading this disease.”

While England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty said the virus had forced authorities to make “really hard choices” between “two bad options”.

This involved balancing the “natural wish” of people wanting to get together at Christmas, which was important for mental health, alongside the risk posed by people gathering in groups.

He added: “We’re forced into this incredibly difficult choice where both the options are bad options and the aim is to try to find some middle way between the difficult options we have to have.”

And Prof Whitty said the modelling shows that relaxing the rules will lead to an increase in deaths.

He said: “Any kind of period where people come together in groups that otherwise wouldn’t meet leads to an increase in risks and that will lead to an increase in hospitalisations and deaths.

“That’s been consistently what we’ve said will happen, not just scientists but political leaders, but what we’ve tried to do is to then find out what are the things you can do to reduce the risk.

“Reducing this number of households who meet up together to the lowest you can manage in this period, shortening the period of time, because shortening the period of time also has an important effect, and reducing the movement of people from high transmission areas to low transmission areas, all of these, modelling and other forms of science, all make clear will reduce the risk significantly further than if we didn’t do those.”

Shoppers in Doncaster today were split on the rules.

George and Sandra Stanger, both 71, said they will not be seeing their children and labelled the Government’s policy as an “absolute disaster waiting to happen”, as they bought groceries from the market.

Mrs Stanger said: “We’re stopping at home on our own and we think everybody else should.

“The scenario is that you put three families together, it can soon add up to 20 people.

“They’re all working and some of the children are at school and then all coming into one group.

“It’s just an absolute disaster waiting to happen again. We’re never going to get rid of it at this rate.

“What he’s (Mr Johnson) doing is just sitting on the fence.”

She added: “Even if they say ‘no Christmas’ there’ll be people who still do it, but if they do say ‘no Christmas’ perhaps 40 per cent won’t.

“The groups will be far too big.”

Her husband said: “It just needs sorting out one way or another. Just make a decision – we’re not looking forward to a third lockdown”

But Jayne Porter, also from Doncaster, said: “I don’t care what the Government says, I am seeing my grandkids and my kids this Christmas morning.

“If they change their mind, I will still see them. I will not miss seeing my grandkids and my kids this Christmas.”

Asked what the reaction will be if the rules are changed, Ms Porter said: “Everyone will ignore it because they want to see their families.

Also in Doncaster market, Lancelot Wallace, 70, said: “They’re going to mix together anyway, because it’s Christmas. If the Government did turn round and say Christmas is not here, it’s going to be like watching one of those old movies – No More Father Christmas.

“I’ve got 17 grandkids. Is that what they’re going to say if they cancel it: no more Father Christmas for kids?

“They’re going to mix anyway.”

Mr Wallace said he will be spending Christmas Day with just his wife, but added: “I think everybody wants to enjoy Christmas and I think everyone should get on and enjoy Christmas”

And one man in the market, who only wanted to be known as Elvis, said: “It’s going to be a bleak Christmas.”

'Frankly inhuman' to ban Christmas, PM says, as he urges caution and smaller gatherings