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Police are expected to carry out 10,000 spot-checks a day to make sure people are quarantining after returning from holiday, it is claimed.

Home Secretary Priti Patel has authorised a huge increase in enforcement after non-essential international travel was permitted again on Monday.

It is understood a lot of the door knocking will be done by private security contractors, with police to be called if people are not complying.

Those returning from amber listed countries are required to quarantine for 10 days after their break.

More than 270,000 people will have travelled to amber countries by Sunday, analysts believe – with people who flout quarantine rules facing fines of up to £10,000.

Ms Patel told the Daily Mail : "People will not go unchecked.

"Significant resources have been put in place – millions of pounds – in terms of the follow-up checking of people around their testing and making sure they stay at home. It has been stepped up."

It follows days of confusion over whether people should be visiting amber list countries – which include holiday hotspots including France, Spain and Greece.

In a briefing from 10 Downing Street, Health Secretary Matt Hancock claimed the government's messaging on travel rules has been "crystal clear", despite ministers repeatedly contradicting each other.

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Six different ministers have given varying advice this week over what the rules are for travelling to amber list countries.

First, Mr Hancock said people "should not travel to amber-list countries for a holiday."

Later, Environment Secretary George Eustice said it was OK to travel to those countries to "visit family."

Then Boris Johnson intervened, saying people should only travel if there was "some pressing family or urgent business reason."

Welsh Secretary Simon Hart said: "some people might think a holiday is essential."

Health Minister Lord Bethell said travelling is "dangerous" and that people should not travel – even to green or amber list countries – this year.

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Meanwhile, skills minister Gillian Keegan said business, care and funeral visits overseas are fine – but holidays are not.

At tonight's Downing Street briefing, Matt Hancock said the government had been "absolutely crystal clear" – but failed to mention the ministers who had given contradictory advice.

"If you look at what the PM said last week, what I said at the weekend, what I said in the House on Monday, what the PM said at lunchtime today – we've been absolutely crystal clear," he said.

"You should not go to an amber or red list country on holiday. You should only go in exceptional circumstances."

He suggested as examples that you could travel to "visit a very ill family member" or to "go to a funeral".

Mr Hancock went on to say that even though there are some things the Government doesn't advise doing, "you don't necessarily have to ban everything by law."

• Travel Advice
• Lockdown
• Coronavirus
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