The spread of coronavirus in the UK could have been slowed with earlier quarantine restrictions on arrivals, a group of MPs has said.

The Home Affairs committee said a lack of border measures earlier in the pandemic was a “serious mistake”.

It added ministers had underestimated the threat of importing the virus from Europe as opposed to Asia.

But a Home Office spokeswoman said the committee were “incorrect in their assertions”.

She added: “All of our decisions throughout the pandemic have been guided by the science, with appropriate measures introduced at the right time to keep us all safe.”

In their report, the committee backed a decision not to close the UK’s borders in the early stages of the crisis, given the “large number” of returning British nationals.