Government website to show what tier you are in crashes

People putting in their postcode this morning were told: “Sorry, we’re experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments.”

The government postcode checker designed to show people what tier they will be in today crashed just minutes after going live.

 Social media users shared issues with the site as many flocked online to see the latest lockdown information.

People putting in their postcode this morning were told: “Sorry, we’re experiencing technical difficulties. Please try again in a few moments.”

The checker was on the government website at around 11am, just half an hour before Health Secretary Matt Hancock was due to give further details on the tier-system to the House of Commons.

There are three new tiers that come into force when lockdown ends on Wednesday (December 2), that all have differing levels of restrictions dependent upon infection levels and hospital capacity.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle told the Commons that it was ‘not acceptable’ to put information about the new tier system online before telling MPs.

He said: “This house should be informed first, we keep telling the government that is the way the government should treat and respect this chamber. It is not acceptable to put it online. 

"The only good thing for the government is it has crashed, so it might be that we do get the statement first. But it is not acceptable. We are elected to hear it first and they should give the respect that this House deserves. ”

And Labour’s Jon Ashworth said: “We have long called for ministers to properly prepare a testing strategy to deliver the levels of diagnostics needed. The fact the website crashed in minutes reveals the extent of the demand that ministers should have prepared for."

It comes as only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been placed in the lowest Tier 1 set of restrictions, with people in all other parts of England set to face more serious limits to their freedom.

Large swathes of the Midlands, North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3, but London will be in Tier 2.

Liverpool, which had been in Tier 3 before the lockdown, will move to Tier 2 in recognition of efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus.

Mr Hancock said "these are not easy decisions, but they have been made according to the best clinical advice".