FRIENDS and families across England will be allowed to mix for a number of days over the festive period - but what are the official rules?

Currently the Government is set to allow households, regardless of what tier restrictions they are in, to mix over a five-day period for Christmas.

From Wednesday, December 23 to Sunday, December 27, up to three households will be allowed to form a "Christmas bubble."

We've looked at what the latest Government guidance on Christmas bubbles are and what it means for you if the plans remain in place.

How it is set to work

Over the five day period of relaxed restrictions across England, all other local lockdown-style restrictions will continue to apply.

It means that while you can mix with up to three households, pubs, restaurants and cafes in Tier 3 areas will have to remain shut.

What will be allowed

The guidance states that currently up to three households will be allowed to mix - even if it involves travelling to another area, where tier restrictions are higher or lower.

Those that form a bubble will not run the risk of being fined for Covid breaches provided the following rules are met:

- You only mix with your Christmas bubble in private homes and gardens, places of worship, or public spaces.

- You are only part of one Christmas bubble, which you cannot change at a later date once it is formed.

- You will be allowed to stay overnight, but you must not travel to see your bubble before December 23 and must not travel back beyond December 27.

What about those with existing bubbles?

The guidance states that those in support bubbles count as one household towards the three household limits.

It means that if you are in a support bubble, you can then collectively form a Christmas bubble with two other households.

But two households in a support bubble can instead opt to join seperate Christmas bubbles.

Does the rule of six apply to Christmas bubbles?

The guidance does not put a number on the number of people you can mix with, within the Christmas bubble.

But it does state that numbers in bubbles should be kept "as small as possible."

You must reduce contact with other people for the two weeks after the bubble has ended

Although the guidance doesn't say that you have to self-isolate, those involved are advised to reduce contact with people you do not live with "as much as possible" for two weeks.

But children can continue to go to school and you can go to work if you cannot work from home, but you should avoid unnecessary social interaction.