Ex-director of public health John Ashton savaged UK response to coronavirus 

He said UK 'lost the plot' and 'lost control' as he called for more urgent efforts 

Government insisted less draconian approach than other countries is right one 

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A former public health chief has blasted the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak as he said ministers had 'lost control' of the situation. 

Professor John Ashton, a former regional director of public health for north-west England, said the government had 'lost the plot' as he questioned why it had not acted more severely. 

He said decision-makers in Whitehall had responded with 'paternalistic' and 'old-fashioned' measures as he urged them to go much further. 

The comments came after Boris Johnson announced the UK was moving from the contain phase of its response to the deadly virus to the delay phase.