Some centres said people had travelled hundreds of miles to make sure they got their boosters. The Kennet vaccine base in Newbury, Berkshire, stopped bookings after it was swamped by visitors from as far as Cornwall, 200 miles away.

       One worker said: "While it's great people are coming forward, ideally we wanted to support the local population who were struggling to access their boosters."

       People flocked to Chester Cathedral, where soldiers of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers helped out.

       Clare Watson, of NHS Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: "We are delighted to have secured the support of military personnel.

       "Feel free to pop in if you're eligible for a first, second or booster dose."

       In cities including London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester the queueing started at 6am.

       Meanwhile, government websites again revealed shortages of lateral flow tests and people trying to book PCR tests at some walk-in sites were directed elsewhere.

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