Liverpool Defies Government By Telling Parents Its Schools Won't All Open On 1 June

City leaders in Liverpool have defied the government's announcement that schools will start to make a phased return on 1 June - saying that they will not reopen most of them on this date.

The council's director for children and young people's services Steve Reddy said that it's likely only the children of key workers would be in school.

"The layout of every school is different and they all have different challenges to overcome in terms of maintaining social distancing and hygiene."

The city's mayor Joe Anderson also explained that he would resist sending children back on the date scheduled because he had concerns about schools being able to operate safely.