Excavation work is to begin at a cafe where police have been searching for a teenager whose disappearance was linked to serial killer Fred West.
Mary Bastholm went missing in Gloucester in 1968 and police have been searching the cellar of the Clean Plate cafe she used to work at.
Officers were called there on 7 May following suggestions a body may have been buried there.
There is enough evidence for excavation work to take place, police said.
Miss Bastholm, 15, was wearing a blue coat when she disappeared - and police have now revealed a production company filming a documentary at the cafe tipped them off after finding an image of blue material in one area of the cellar.
Serial killer West was previously suspected over her disappearance.
Det Ch Insp John Turner said: "The analysis from our experts and the material provided by the production company means there is enough evidence to justify excavation work beginning.
"I've spoken to the family and was so impressed by their quiet dignity and gratitude for all the work we've done and will be doing."
Forensic archaeologists confirmed on Monday that there were a number of structural anomalies within the cellar that would be investigated, with work set to begin on Wednesday and last for several weeks.
Ms Bastholm's family said they were "extremely happy" that police were continuing the search.
"This gives us a chance to potentially put her at rest after all these years. We hope this is a chance to finally get closure for Mary," they said in a statement.
Serial killer West, aged 53, tortured, raped and murdered an unknown number of women over a 20-year period, along with his wife Rose.
In 1994, West admitted murdering his daughter Heather. The confession came as police began to search 25 Cromwell Street, where they found the bodies of nine girls and young women.
West was charged with 12 murders, but took his own life in a Birmingham prison before his trial.
Rose West was convicted of 10 murders in November 1995 and is serving life.
Officers went to the location in Chigwell, just outside London, on Sunday afternoon following reports of a religiously aggravated assault, Essex Police said in a statement Monday.
"It is believed that two teenagers stepped out in front of the victim's vehicle whilst he was driving, they shouted at him and spoke in a derogatory way about his religion before going on to damage his car," the police department said.
"When he got out of his car to confront them, he was attacked with an unknown object causing him to require hospital treatment," it added.
The victim's phone was stolen during the attack by two boys, thought to be aged 15-18, who left the scene on foot, police added.
"We know that this incident may be concerning for those in the local area, and we are working quickly to identify those responsible and to liaise with community leaders for any further support for those impacted," police said.
The victim has been identified in local media as Rabbi Rafi Goodwin, assistant rabbi at Chigwell and Hainault Synagogue.
CNN has contacted the synagogue for comment.
"Wishing Rabbi Goodwin a full and speedy recovery," the Board of Deputies of British Jews, a Jewish community organization, tweeted. "There can be no excuse for this."
On Sunday, London's Metropolitan Police arrested four people after a convoy of cars bearing Palestinian flags drove through an area of North London with a large Jewish community, broadcasting anti-Semitic messages from a megaphone.
The incident followed pro-Palestinian demonstrations in central London on Saturday as Israel continues to launch strikes on Gaza in retaliation for rocket attacks by Hamas.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson condemned anti-Semitism on Twitter.
"There is no place for antisemitism in our society," Johnson tweeted Sunday, referring to the North London incident. "Ahead of Shavuot, I stand with Britain's Jews who should not have to endure the type of shameful racism we have seen today."
In Germany on Friday, a spokesman for Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke out against anti-Semitism, after Israeli flags were set on fire in front of synagogues in the cities of Bonn and Münster and Jewish establishments were pelted with stones.
"Those who demonstrate in front of synagogues, (...) damage Jewish symbols, make it obvious that it is not about criticizing a state and its politics but rather about aggression and hate toward a religion and its followers," Steffen Seibert said at a press conference in Berlin. "Against that we stand with the entire power of our constitutional democracy."
CNN's Martin Goillandeau, Lindsay Isaac, Claudia Otto, Colin Ivory Meyer and Arnaud Siad contributed to this report.
What are the chances of 21 June easing being delayed?
There is less than a 50% chance of the final roadmap easing scheduled for 21 June being delayed, a member of SAGE has said.
Professor Graham Medley, from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, is a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE)
Speaking to LBC this morning, he said the chance of a delay in June was "well less than 50%" but added "it is uncertain".
"It's a risk... I think it's better than 50% that we'll go through this next phase without having to close things again rapidly, but we're moving back to the situation we were in 2018 before all this all started when there was a risk that we would have a pandemic, but people weren't factoring that into account.
"Now we are in the middle of this epidemic and so the risks are bigger, but it's impossible to give an accurate number to it."
Prof Medley said he thought "there's one other wave" of infection to come in the UK, but hopefully "vaccines will hold back the virus and prevent people going to hospital".
He said it would be "at some point during the summer, maybe late into September or October, depending on how much people mix - so one of the things we can't do is with the modelling is to basically predict what people will do".
On whether he would go to a pub or restaurant indoors, he said: "If it was suitably organised, and it looks OK and I was in an area with low prevalence and the clientele was very old, then I would think 'OK, fair enough, they've all been vaccinated'.
"I think it's about individual risks and people taking that choice, which is different from what the government has to do, which is to avoid the risk of large numbers of people in hospital again."
People must continue to play their part in stopping coronavirus, Boris Johnson has said, as lockdown rules ease in England, Wales and most of Scotland.
Millions can now socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants indoors.
The ban on foreign travel has also been lifted and replaced with new rules.
Mr Johnson said: "We have reached another milestone in our road map out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution."
Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the government's independent scientific advisory group Sage, said the lifting of the rules was the "most difficult policy decision of the last 15 months or so. It is very, very finely balanced."
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the variant, which is thought to be more transmissible, "is becoming dominant in parts of the UK, and yet vaccination across the country has been extraordinary successful".
"I think we will see an increase of cases and infections over the coming weeks as some of the restrictions are lifted, but the key question is whether we have decoupled increased transmission in the number of people who do get infected from the number of people who get ill and need to go to hospital."
While lockdowns are easing across England, Scotland and Wales, the changes are different in each nation. Two areas of Scotland - Glasgow and Moray - will not have their rules eased after a spike in cases.
In a statement issued on Sunday evening on the lifting of the rules in England, Mr Johnson added: "Everyone must play their part by getting tested twice a week, coming forward for your vaccine when called, and remembering hands, face, space and fresh air.
"I urge everyone to be cautious and take responsibility when enjoying new freedoms today in order to keep the virus at bay."
Anyone in England and Scotland can order free lateral flow tests - which give results in 30 minutes - even if they do not have symptoms. In Wales and Northern Ireland, they are available for certain people, such as those who cannot work from home.
How have the rules changed?
England:
People can now meet indoors in groups of up to six or two households, or in groups of up to 30 outdoors. Overnight stays are allowed
Pubs, bars and restaurants can serve customers indoors
Museums, cinemas, children's play areas, theatres, concert halls and sports stadiums can all reopen, as can hotels
Social distancing guidance is changing and contact with other households like hugs is a matter of personal choice
Scotland (except Glasgow and Moray):
People can meet indoors in groups of six from up to three households. Outdoors, up to eight people from eight households can mix
Pubs and restaurants can serve alcohol indoors until 22:30
Entertainment venues such as cinemas, theatres and bingo halls can reopen and up to 100 people are allowed at indoor events
Wales:
Pubs and restaurants can reopen indoors and customers can meet in groups of up to six from six households
All holiday accommodation can reopen
Cinemas, bowling alleys, museums, galleries and theatres can reopen
No change to indoor socialising - this is still restricted to extended households where two households can mix with each other and have physical contact
This is a big moment for the national mood and the UK economy - particularly those sectors that have been hardest hit by the restrictions.
Nearly a million hospitality and leisure workers will go back to work today, according to industry estimates.
Although many have been open for outside service, 60% of hospitality venues have no outside space and have been unable to open until now.
However, this is not the champagne moment many had hoped for.
The real prize for hospitality businesses is the planned removal of all restrictions on 21 June.
Recent government warnings about the threat posed to these plans by the Indian variant are casting an unwelcome cloud of uncertainty.
Even with today's easing of restrictions, many businesses will be unable to operate at anywhere near pre-pandemic capacity.
They will face the prospect of deferred rent bills, the repayment of Covid loans and an increasingly acute staff shortage - with hospitality workers who have left the industry not yet feeling confident enough to return.
Scientists believe the Indian variant does spread more easily, but early data suggests vaccines still work. However, the exact impact on vaccine efficacy - if any - is still to be firmed up.
At the weekend, the British Medical Association - which represents doctors - said it was a "real worry" that the easing was still going ahead while the Indian variant was spreading and many younger people were not vaccinated.
Mr Johnson said the government was keeping the variant "under close observation" and "taking swift action where infection rates are rising".
Ministers and senior advisers are concerned due to continued uncertainty about the Indian variant, including how much faster it spreads than the UK variant.
The impact on hospital numbers in communities most affected by the variant will be studied closely this week and next.
Officials were preparing anyway to monitor the consequences of today's easing of restrictions, the biggest step so far - with people mixing more and case numbers likely to rise.
Preliminary laboratory data from Oxford University suggest, according to ministers, that vaccines will be effective against the Indian variant - but they stress that there's a race to keep the vaccination programme ahead of the virus.
Within the next few days, a first dose will be offered to all those aged 35 and over in England.
The latest government figures show a further 1,926 Covid cases have been recorded in the UK, while a further four people have died.
The number of people in the UK who have received a first dose of the vaccine has now topped 36.5 million, while the number of second doses given is at 20.1 million.
Also from Monday, people travelling abroad will be able to use the NHS app - which is different to the NHS Covid-19 app - to prove they have had the vaccine.
Speaking to the BBC on Sunday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock defended the easing of lockdown rules on Monday, and said the government's strategy was to "replace the restrictions with vaccination" as the first line of defence against the virus.
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People across England are again able to enjoy hugs with loved ones, indoor pints and foreign holidays - but Boris Johnson has urged a "heavy dose of caution" due to the threat of the Indian variant of COVID-19.
As the country moves to stage three of the prime minister's roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions today, friends and family will enjoy greater freedom to gather together.
This includes being able to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 and gathering indoors in groups of up to six, or as two households.
Pubs and restaurants are also once again able to serve customers indoors, while cinemas can reopen, fans can return to sports stadiums, and the ban on foreign holidays is lifted with people allowed to travel to a limited number of countries on the "green" list.
In addition, the government is now allowing people to choose whether to socially distance with family and friends when they meet up - although ministers have urged people to think carefully about the risks of hugging.
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The Showtime Bar in Huddersfield was among the venues opening their doors at midnight, with owner Ian Snowball saying it was "incredible" to be able to welcome those wanting a drink inside.
Image:Staff at the Showtime Bar opened their doors to indoor customers at midnight
Finlay Woodhead, 20, who went along with his friend to the Showtime Bar, said: "I'm over the moon, I've been waiting so long. It's so nice to be sat inside where it's warm."
More on Boris Johnson
Mr Snowball added: "I think for people from the North, it's kind of special to us, a pub. There's an intimacy when we all get together, with our friends, and we talk."
The prime minister has pushed ahead with the latest lifting of lockdown restrictions despite growing concerns over the possible impact of the so-called Indian variant.
Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that it could "spread like wildfire" among those who have not had COVID jabs.
And Mr Johnson has admitted the variant's presence in parts of the country could yet delay England's move to the fourth and final stage of his roadmap - scheduled for 21 June.
That would see all legal limits on social contact removed, so long as tests on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants continue to be met.
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Indian variant 'could spread like wildfire'
As England moves to stage three of his roadmap, the prime minister said: "Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution.
"We are keeping the spread of the variant first identified in India under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates are rising.
"The current data does not indicate unsustainable pressure on the NHS and our extraordinary vaccination programme will accelerate - with second doses being bought forward to give the most vulnerable maximum protection.
"But now everyone must play their part - by getting tested twice a week, coming forward for your vaccine when called and remembering hands, face, space and fresh air.
"I urge everyone to be cautious and take responsibility when enjoying new freedoms today in order to keep the virus at bay."
In Scotland, restrictions have also further relaxed as most mainland areas move to Level 2, meaning people will be able to hug loved ones and socialise indoors, subject to restrictions.
Glasgow and Moray will remain in Level 3 due to virus outbreaks while many island communities have moved to Level 1.
Some 391,246 people were given their second dose on Saturday, meaning a total of 20,103,658 (38.2% of all adults) have now had two shots.
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'I have to level with you': PM airs variant concerns
Also on Saturday, 237,331 had their first jab, bringing the total number of people who have been given at least one dose to 36,573,354 (69.4% of the adult population).
Meanwhile, the UK has reported another four coronavirus-related deaths and 1,926 new cases in the latest 24-hour period.
This compares with seven deaths and 2,027 cases announced on Saturday, while last Sunday two deaths and 1,770 cases were reported.
More than 1,300 cases of the Indian variant - which is judged to be more transmissible than the Kent variant that drove the UK's deadly second wave of infections during the winter - have so far been found in the UK.
Mr Hancock on Sunday told Sky News that the Indian variant was "becoming the dominant strain in some parts of the country" such as Bolton and Blackburn, while he predicted it could eventually become the dominant variant across the entire UK.
But, although he warned the variant can "spread like wildfire" among those who have not had COVID jabs, Mr Hancock added there was a "high degree of confidence" that existing vaccines protect against the Indian variant.
Ministers are hoping surge testing and the acceleration of second vaccine doses can combat against the growth in Indian variant cases.
Keep calm and carry on vaccinating – that is the best advice for ministers and the public alike as another Covid panic appears to be taking hold.
Today the country takes a giant step towards normality, with the reopening of restaurants, pubs, cinemas and much else. But we also face news that the so-called Indian variant of Covid (actually three new variants) is starting to spread rapidly in the UK.
It is prompting some scientists and politicians to call for a pause in unlocking and a delay to ‘Freedom Day’ on June 21 when potentially all legal limits on social contact are removed.
It sounds frightening, but there really is no reason to panic because we are in a very different place
The truth is that we were always braced for more variants. That’s how a virus works: it evolves
One of the new variants (all of which originated in south Asia) appears to be up to 50 per cent more transmissible than the Kent variant that emerged about six months ago and which prompted another national lockdown.
It sounds frightening, but there really is no reason to panic because we are in a very different place from where we were then. Today we’ve got the solution to the pandemic in our hands – the science is working and the vaccines are breaking the train of transmission and deaths.
From the start of this global crisis, we were always banking on vaccination to get us out of it and there’s no reason to change our strategy or lose faith in what scientists have delivered.
The truth is that we were always braced for more variants. That’s how a virus works: it evolves. Epidemiologists knew the coronavirus would mutate as it spread, and that the basic laws of evolution mean the more successful variants oust the old ones. At the moment, the Indian variant in Britain is confined to a few hotspots such as Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen, but pretty soon it is likely to be the dominant strain of Covid throughout the UK.
That’s the stark reality of viruses and it shouldn’t be used to stoke up ‘coronamania’.
I strongly suspect the new variant has existed in this country for at least two months.
Even before the first calls were made back at the start of April, to put India on the ‘red list’ and block incoming flights, there will have been cases in this country.
Boris Johnson is being criticised for not banning visitors from the sub-continent until the last week of April.
Political opponents say he was wary of causing offence to the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, ahead of trade talks.
I strongly suspect the new variant has existed in this country for at least two months. (Pictured, funeral pyres of people who died due to the Covid-19 coronavirus are seen at a cremation ground in New Delhi)
Even before the first calls were made back at the start of April, to put India on the ‘red list’ and block incoming flights, there will have been cases in this country
But the virus knows no borders. If the mutation couldn’t arrive directly from India, it would have entered the UK via some zigzag route from other countries not on the red list.
Indeed by the time we identified it as a new variant, it was already too late to keep it out.
The Kent variant was picked up very quickly because Britain leads the world in genome analysis. It took much longer for a new strain to be identified in India, where DNA testing is not done on anything like the same scale. Yes, the images we have seen from India are alarming and tragic with hospitals overwhelmed, a shortage of oxygen and ventilators, and thousands of funeral pyres. It has prompted some observers to warn of a third Covid wave in the UK, with up to 1,000 deaths a day being forecast by some.
I do not believe that will happen. For one thing, India has a population at least 20 times greater than Britain’s and in many cities people live in very close quarters. That means the virus spreads more easily.
And the fact that mass gatherings – for sporting events, political rallies and religious festivals – were permitted weeks after the outbreak began has made the problem so much worse.
Most crucially, the vaccination programme in India lags far behind ours (despite the fact that India manufactures more vaccines than any other country). We have an ‘immune-competent’ population – that is, more than two thirds of adults in Britain have now had at least one vaccination, and a third of the unvaccinated cohort – largely younger adults – have immunity from contracting the virus itself.
The vaccine is not an impermeable barrier against Covid. But all the evidence, including the patterns in India, shows that people who have been inoculated will not contract a serious Covid infection or be hospitalised. The best data shows that 90 per cent of people who have had both jabs will be immune to infection. The rest will probably not be ill enough to have a transmissible viral load – that is to say, they won’t be able to pass it on. And 90 per cent of people eligible for the vaccine are accepting it. Despite the rampant disinformation and scaremongering on social media, only 10 per cent of the those eligible are refusing the jab – although of course, I’d like to see that number fall.
The vaccine is not an instant solution. It takes at least a week for immunity to kick in, and there has to be a minimum delay of three weeks between the first and second jabs.
We must continue with our much improved test-and-trace programme and to urge anyone who is showing Covid symptoms to self-isolate. In cases where that could mean financial hardship, there should be grant payments to support families, especially in deprived areas. As I write, the emergence of the Indian variant is no reason for us to abandon the road map, plotting our path back to normal life. Vigilance and vaccination are the watchwords.
Brendan Wren is Professor of Vaccinology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
People across England are again able to enjoy hugs with loved ones, indoor pints and foreign holidays - but Boris Johnson has urged a "heavy dose of caution" due to the threat of the Indian variant of COVID-19.
As the country moves to stage three of the prime minister's roadmap for lifting lockdown restrictions today, friends and family will enjoy greater freedom to gather together.
This includes being able to meet outdoors in groups of up to 30 and gathering indoors in groups of up to six, or as two households.
Pubs and restaurants are also once again able to serve customers indoors, while cinemas can reopen, fans can return to sports stadiums, and the ban on foreign holidays is lifted with people allowed to travel to a limited number of countries on the "green" list.
In addition, the government is now allowing people to choose whether to socially distance with family and friends when they meet up - although ministers have urged people to think carefully about the risks of hugging.
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The prime minister has pushed ahead with the latest lifting of lockdown restrictions despite growing concerns over the possible impact of the so-called Indian variant.
Earlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that it could "spread like wildfire" among those who have not had COVID jabs.
More on Boris Johnson
And Mr Johnson has admitted the variant's presence in parts of the country could yet delay England's move to the fourth and final stage of his roadmap - scheduled for 21 June.
That would see all legal limits on social contact removed, so long as tests on vaccines, infection rates and new coronavirus variants continue to be met.
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Indian variant 'could spread like wildfire'
As England moves to stage three of his roadmap, the prime minister said: "Together we have reached another milestone in our roadmap out of lockdown, but we must take this next step with a heavy dose of caution.
"We are keeping the spread of the variant first identified in India under close observation and taking swift action where infection rates are rising.
"The current data does not indicate unsustainable pressure on the NHS and our extraordinary vaccination programme will accelerate - with second doses being bought forward to give the most vulnerable maximum protection.
"But now everyone must play their part - by getting tested twice a week, coming forward for your vaccine when called and remembering hands, face, space and fresh air.
"I urge everyone to be cautious and take responsibility when enjoying new freedoms today in order to keep the virus at bay."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
'I have to level with you': PM airs variant concerns
Some 391,246 people were given their second dose on Saturday, meaning a total of 20,103,658 (38.2% of all adults) have now had two shots.
Also on Saturday, 237,331 had their first jab, bringing the total number of people who have been given at least one dose to 36,573,354 (69.4% of the adult population).
Meanwhile, the UK has reported another four coronavirus-related deaths and 1,926 new cases in the latest 24-hour period.
This compares with seven deaths and 2,027 cases announced on Saturday, while last Sunday two deaths and 1,770 cases were reported.
More than 1,300 cases of the Indian variant - which is judged to be more transmissible than the Kent variant that drove the UK's deadly second wave of infections during the winter - have so far been found in the UK.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock on Sunday told Sky News that the Indian variant was "becoming the dominant strain in some parts of the country" such as Bolton and Blackburn, while he predicted it could eventually become the dominant variant across the entire UK.
But, although he warned the variant can "spread like wildfire" among those who have not had COVID jabs, Mr Hancock added there was a "high degree of confidence" that existing vaccines protect against the Indian variant.
Ministers are hoping surge testing and the acceleration of second vaccine doses can combat against the growth in Indian variant cases.
