Urgent door-to-door quick Covid-19 testing for the South African variant is underway in parts of England after cases were found with no known links to travel or previous contact with those affected.
Public Health England confirmed Mobile Test Units have been deployed after two people in the county of Surrey, south east England, were among 11 individuals found to have tested positive for the variant.
"We are ramping up testing in targeted areas, so we can gather more information and effectively monitor any further community transmission," the chief medical adviser for NHS Test and Trace Dr Susan Hopkins said.
"A small proportion of those cases have no link to international travel suggesting that there are some cases in the community."
More than 100 cases of the strain have been identified to date across the UK, but this is the first sign of wider community spread. Around 80,000 over-16s are being asked to take tests, regardless of symptoms.
There is no evidence that the variant causes more severe illness.
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