The luxury department store Harrods was blockaded as crowds of shoppers breaking COVID-19 rules poured into central London

• Large crowds flouting COVID-19 rules gathered outside luxury London department store, Harrods, on Saturday afternoon.
• Photos showed that the majority in the crowd outside the store's Knightsbridge branch were maskless and not social distancing.
• Four males were arrested with charges of affray, breaching of Covid regulations and a public order offense, police confirmed.

Large crowds flouting COVID-19 rules gathered outside luxury London department store, Harrods, leading to four arrests.

Photos showed that the majority in the crowd outside the store's Knightsbridge flagship store were maskless and not social distancing.

While it is not known why they had begun congregating outside Harrods on Saturday, some appeared to be dressed for a night out.

According to the Evening Standard, some thought that they might have been headed to the nearby luxury Harvey Nichols department store for a drink after finishing their shopping.

The photos provoked outrage online, with media personality Piers Morgan posting one and tweeting: "Harrods yesterday afternoon. What a sick joke. Imagine how NHS workers feel seeing such selfish reckless behaviour?"

Save Night Clubs, a UK group urging the government to help clubs survive amid the pandemic, shared a video captioned: 'This is happening outside Harrods and many other shops in London, people walking shoulder to shoulder. Meanwhile thousands of people from the entertainment business are not able to work for over 1 year!'

Author, Benjamin Myers posted two images and said: "Harrods yesterday. I shop at Lidl, which has a more intelligent clientele."

In a statement, Met Police said: "Police were called at around 13:09hrs on Saturday, 5 December to reports of a large group of people attempting to enter a shop in Brompton Road, SW1.

"Four males were arrested in total - two for affray, one for breach of Covid regulations, and another for a public order offenses and breach of Covid regulations. The crowd have since dispersed."

However, photos taken at around 5:30pm that day showed that people continued to stand in front of Harrods, with several shoppers telling The Mirror they left the store because of the crowds.

London's Convent Garden was also packed after this weekend became the first since early November that the city's non-essential retail stores, restaurants, and pubs were allowed to open until 11pm.

The city is currently under Tier 2 of the England's three-tier risk system meaning large gatherings are illegal, and only six people from separate households are permitted to meet up outside.