A new variant of coronavirus could “scupper” the UK’s plans to ease lockdown, a leading scientist has warning.

Covid-19 infections across the UK have dropped to the lowest level since the autumn, according to the latest figures.

But Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College, says Britain should be on its guard for a third wave after 77 cases of another possible vaccine-busting mutation was recorded domestically.

The B.1.617 variant was first found in India and Public Health England reports 73 cases of the B.1.617 strain have been found, with a further four cases in Scotland.

Professor Altmann said that as a result, those arriving into the country from India should be subject to a hotel quarantine if the UK is to shut out variants that could set back the Prime Minister’s lockdown easing plans.

He added the discovery of the Indian variant in the UK should warrant India being placed on the UK’s “red list”.

Officials have designated its version a variant under investigation (VUI) rather than a variant of concern (VOC), such as the Manaus (Brazil) or South African variants.

But Prof Altmann said he suspected the Indian mutation would be escalated to a variant of concern.

He said it holds properties that allow it to evade the coronavirus vaccines currently on offer and was more transmissible.

He told the BBC: “I think we should be terribly concerned about it.

“They (variants of concern) are things that can most scupper our escape plan at the moment and give us a third wave. They are a worry.”

India recorded more than 217,000 daily cases on Friday, pushing its total since the pandemic began past 14.2 million as World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said global Covid rates are “worrying”.

Prof Altmann said he found it “mystifying” and “slightly confounding” that those flying in from India were not required to stay in a hotel.

India is not currently on the Government’s “red list” for travel, which sees people who have been in those countries in the previous 10 days refused entry to the UK.

British or Irish nationals, or people with UK residency rights, are able to return from red list countries but must isolate in a quarantine hotel for 10 days.

A Downing Street spokesman said the Government’s red list of travel ban countries is “under constant review”, when asked why India did not feature on it.

Downing Street has insisted Boris Johnson’s trip to India later this month will go ahead but will be slightly shorter than the original four-day planned trip.

British officials hope the Prime Minister’s visit will kickstart trade talks with India.

According to the latest estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), around one in 480 people in private households in England had Covid-19 in the week to April 10 – the lowest figure since the week to September 19 last year.

Infection rates in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland followed a similar trend of depreciating numbers, ONS data showed.

STACEY Solomon has filmed herself screaming in fear as she played hide and seek in her pitch black 2.5 acre garden.

The 31-year-old looked terrified as she told fans her sister Gemma and husband-to-be Joe Swash had forced her into playing the game.

“My sister is making us all play this hide and seek game,” she told her Instagram followers as she filmed herself walking around in the dark.

“Joe has to find us and it’s actually creeping the life out of me,” she added, as she wrote in the caption her fiancee was “creeping her out so much”.

“I hate it,” she added of the game, which her sister and friends insisting on playing for Gemma’s birthday in the large countryside garden.

Stacey continued to film as she ran away from Joe, 39, shouting at him to “stop” because she “didn’t like it”.

“Hated the whole experience and lasted about 30 seconds because I needed my phone torch,” she wrote alongside the video.

Shortly before the game, Stacey showed off her incredible toilet transformation as makeovers get underway at her new home.

The star moved into the £1.2 million mansion at the end of last month, and couldn’t wait to put her crafty skills to work.

DIY goddess Stacey revealed that the first room’s makeover was finally complete – starting small with the downstairs toilet.

She couldn’t hide her excitement as she updated fans that the flooring was finally down, which meant that there were just some finishing touches left to do.

Stacey gushed: “The flooring in the toilet is down… I’m going to hang a couple of bits in there and then I might put on a blue outfit to take a picture in there.

“I know, I’m such a loser, but I’m so proud of it and I really can’t wait to show you. It’s not anything amazing, so don’t get excited – I’m just really proud.”

The space originally had bright red flooring and plain white walls, with the mother-of-three posting a video of the “before” as she explained: “Knowing that this is how it started, I’m so proud of how far it’s come.”

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The nautical-themed new loo has seen the red floor get replaced with chic grey wood, and white wooden slates border the walls.

She has painted the rest of the walls a stunning sea-blue – as well as the window sills.

Stacey has also made a start on renovating many other rooms in the huge home – including their conservatory, and her oldest sons’ bedrooms.

The mother-of-three has also set to work on the outdoor pool, with the Essex property sitting on 2.5 acres of land.

Telangana may follow the Central Board of Secondary Examinations (CBSE) and cancel the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations (10th class) this year as well.

The exams are supposed to be conducted from May 17 to 28 with major subjects to be completed by May 22 as per the schedule of the government released on February 9.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is likely to take the final decision on cancellation after the Nagarjunasagar by-poll to be held on April 17. The surge in COVID cases and the apprehensions of parents may force the Chief Minister to cancel the exams. About six lakh students are presently enrolled in 10th class.

Several parents and students have already appealed to the CM to cancel the SSC exams. In fact, a student started an online petition for the same a few days ago and it received the support of nearly 24,000 people so far.

The government had cancelled the exams last year as well and promoted all students taking their internal assessment marks into consideration. The exams were cancelled after repeated postponements due to challenges in the High Court citing COVID-9 cases. The challengers were questioning the government on the safety measures and the fear factor among teachers.

The cancellation proposal has been doing rounds for the last one week among the officials but they shied away from officially sharing it without taking the consent of the Chief Minister. Officials say the surge in COVID cases, particularly in schools and hostels had in fact forced the government to close them last month.

A senior official on condition of anonymity said the government was thinking of promoting 10th class students and also those pursuing Intermediate first-year but was committed to conduct 12th class (Intermediate second-year) exams even if they are delayed. This was to ensure that State students don’t lose out at the national level entrance exams and admissions in top institutions where 12th class marks matter.

Since the CBSE too had postponed the 12th class exams, the Telangana State Board of Intermediate Education (TS-BIE) will follow the same. Government has time till July to conduct the same and announce the results early. “So the 12th exams in Telangana will also be postponed definitely,” he said.

The Government Junior Lecturers Association (GJLA) president, Madhusudhan Reddy agreed that it would be very difficult to proceed with the present schedule.