* REVELLERS HIT TOWN FOR BEER GARDEN DRINKING AND AL FRESCO DINING AT START OF EXPECTED WARM AND SUNNY WEEKEND  * BUT TENSIONS BOILED OVER IN SOME AREAS, WITH POLICE HAVING TO INTERVENE AMID

VIOLENT SCENES IN LONDON'S SOHO * IT WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO WINE AND DINE WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY AT VENUES IN SOME SIX MONTHS * EXPERTS PREDICTED 500,000 BOTTLES OF

WINE DRUNK BY 1.5 MILLION PEOPLE ACROSS 20,000 RESTAURANTS NATIONWIDE  Scuffles broke out over table reservations this evening as Britons packed their local outdoor pubs and bars on the

first Friday night out since lockdown restrictions were eased. Some five million pints are set to be pulled tonight as revellers hit the town for beer garden drinking and al fresco dining at

last time revellers could enjoy outdoor hospitality. Experts predicted earlier today that as well as five million pints, around 500,000 bottles of wine will be drunk by an estimated 1.5

million people across 20,000 restaurants nationwide. It means alcohol sales are likely to be double those on a normal Friday night as Britons celebrate their newfound freedom. It comes as

the Met Office is forecasting sunny spells and highs in England of 57F (14C) tomorrow for Prince Philip's funeral at Windsor, and 61F (16C) on Sunday, with the mercury possibly even

higher in parts of Scotland on what is expected to be a dry weekend for much of the UK.   But there will still be overnight frosts - and temperatures will be nowhere near the highs seen

during the mini-heatwave a fortnight ago which brought the hottest March day in 53 years with 76.1F (24.5C) recorded in London and caused many to flout lockdown laws. This weekend will be

the first of 2021 that people in England have been able to enjoy outdoor hospitality and non-essential retail, after the Government continued to implement its roadmap out of the gruelling

national shutdown imposed by Boris Johnson in early January.  The Friday night spending spree is set to fill the tills of the depleted hospitality industry to the tune of £100million. 

Despite Covid rules still being in place, revellers were expected to hit the towns in their thousands tonight, when pubs open for the first weekend night since lockdown began in January.

Some areas have been forced to wait even longer - six months - due to the previous local tier system. Friday will be the first weekend night were pubs and bars across England have been

allowed to open - albeit only for outdoor drinking - since October last year. But revellers will have to wrap-up in more than just a beer jacket when they hit the pubs and bars this weekend,

as they'll have to remain in outdoor areas under current Covid rules. And with night time temperatures in London set to drop to 5C in the evening, it will be more than just the beer

that will be chilled. Britons have already been busy cramming into streets and outdoor seating areas this week after the Government eased restrictions on the hospitality industry on Monday.

Pubs and bars in England can now open outdoor seating areas to welcome back groups of up to six people, or two households. Indoor seating will not be allowed until at least May 17 under the

Government's current roadmap out of lockdown. Wales will keep its pubs shut until April 27, much to the frustration of the country's hospitality chiefs, as will Scotland. 

Meanwhile, pubs and cafes can reopen in Northern Ireland for outdoor service on April 30, and indoors from May 24.  RELATED ARTICLES In a bid to stop late-night parties in London, police

opted to shut north London beauty spot Primrose Hill after 10pm tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.  It will be temporarily closed and will then reopen again the following morning with officers

breaking up groups after 'recent incidents of anti-social behaviour', police said. Scores of maskless ravers defied social distancing measures and attended an illegal party at the

park in Camden on April 3. No arrests were made but police continued to patrol the area over the Bank Holiday. Litter was also left strewn across the green space - known for its

awe-inspiring view across central London - with pickers clearing up empty beer cans, food cartons and laughing gas canisters on April 5 despite repeated calls for people to take home their

mess. Elsewhere in the capital city, officers are stepping up their patrols in busy areas such as Soho and Mayfair, vowing to take action against those who 'dangerously flout the

rules' and urging business owners to 'act responsibly'.   Meanwhile, Boris Johnson was accused of scrapping plans to introduce vaccine passports to go to the pub after it

emerged the measure was missing from a list of high-profile events including the FA Cup final.  The football season-ending showpiece next month, its two preceding semi-finals and the League

Cup Final are on the Events Research Programme which will examine ways of reopening mass-attendance venues safely. But under guidance released by the Department of Digital, Culture Media and

Sport today, Covid 'certificates' will not be used. Instead fans travelling to Wembley for the final on May 15 - which will take place with 21,000 spectators - will have to

provide evidence of a recent negative Covid test and take tests afterwards. The announcement prompted speculation that the Prime Minister has caved in to rebel Tory backbenchers, who had

threatened to join Labour to vote down any law governing their introduction, on civil liberties grounds. One rebel Tory MP told MailOnline today: 'I think we've managed to take the

wheels off this plan.' In England, thousands of people headed out across the country on Monday night to enjoy a first taste of freedom from lockdown when the bars reopened for the

first time since early January. Revellers were seen packing into the streets around Soho in London, as well as in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.  But police were seen keeping a watchful

eye over proceedings in popular drinking hotspots in London earlier this week. Officers were seen attempting to break-up big crowds as people cheered, sang and raised their drinks to a first

night of freedom. Ahead of this weekend, Kate Nicholls, boss of UK Hospitality, told the Sun that Britons were eager for a return to pubs and bars.  She said: 'Bookings are very strong

for the first few weeks of outdoor reopening. People are eager to socialise again.' According to a study by VoucherCodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research, people in England are

expected to splash out £100million on drinks this weekend. A further £1.5billion is expected to be spent in shops, which will also welcome back customers for the first weekend of trading

since Christmas. Some high street chains are offering bumper discounts, including tech giant Currys, which is offering 70 per cent off, and Superdrug, which is offering 50 per cent off. The

warmer weather comes after very low April temperatures in some parts of the UK last weekend, with 15F (-9.4C) recorded at Tulloch Bridge in Scotland and 7cm (2.7in) of snow falling at Lake

Vyrnwy in Wales.    Today began dry with early mist and fog soon lifting and clearing, with spells of sunshine following for most areas - although some cloud cover developed during the day

and it will turn breezier across the North West. It will then be a mostly dry evening with bright spells but with some cloud cover. The North West could see thick cloud and spots of drizzle,

but most areas will be dry overnight with lengthy clear spells and patches of mist. Met Office meteorologist Aiden McGiven said that the weather will be dry for many places this weekend

with sunshine but it will turn damp in the North West on Sunday. There will be a widespread frost early tomorrow morning with 30F (-1C) to 27F (-3C) quite widely, and even lower in sheltered

rural areas, but the day is looking dry and bright with sunny spells for most areas. He said: 'With light winds in any sunny spells it will feel warm, 13C (55F) to 14C (57F) across a

good part of the country. 15C (59F) through central Scotland and we could even get a 16C (61F) or 17C (63F) in the far north of Scotland, but around coasts it will continue to feel cool, 9C

(48F) to 11C (52F) on the North Sea coast.' 'High pressure is then pulling away through tomorrow night, drawing up slightly warmer air, but weather fronts will arrive into the

North West and bring some outbreaks of rain, especially in Northern Ireland and northern Scotland.' Mr McGivern continued: 'A frost free start to the day on Sunday across Scotland

and Northern Ireland. Elsewhere another widespread frost for much of England and Wales. 'After a bright start we will see the cloud thicken from the West through the day, mainly medium

and high levels of cloud, so the sunshine turning more hazy across Wales and northern England, but the further South East you are, the more likely it is to stay brighter with some sunny

spells into the afternoon. 'Temperatures up a few degrees compared to the last couple of days, 14C to 16C fairly widely across England and Wales away from the east coast, but for

Scotland and Northern Ireland given the additional cloud and those outbreaks of rain, those temperatures will be held back a bit more.' It will be another cloudy and wet day for

Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday, with sunny spells further south but cloud spreading south-eastwards.