Around 300 people were pictured outside a housing estate in Stamford Hill, north London, despite strict Government guidelines against large gatherings and physical contact.

One person was seen wearing a gorilla mask on the shoulders of another man as the crowd danced around them. A large bonfire was also lit close to the people gathered, which is a traditional feature during the Lag B’Omer festival.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed officers did attend the gathering and ‘engaged with those present to remind them of their responsibilities under the current regulations’.

The worrying scenes follows a great deal of confusion around which lockdown measures are being eased by the Government, as well as new figures from the Board of Deputies of British Jews, which revealed 440 British Jews have now died of coronavirus.

It raises fears that the Government has not done enough to explain the lockdown measures to people in the ultra-Orthodox community who do not often engage with traditional media and whose primary language is Yiddish.

People in England, from today, are permitted to meet another person from outside their household as long as they are outside and stay two metres apart. But large gatherings are still banned as the Government fears relaxing the lockdown completely would risk sparking a fresh wave of infections.

A spokesman for the Jewish Community Council said pictures of people not following social distancing orders are always ‘very disturbing’, but added they do not represent the community where a majority are carefully obeying the laws.

They told Metro.co.uk: ‘As per in any community you will sadly always find a handful of people who are not following the laws and ultimately attracts media attention.

‘Indeed there has been a lack of communication and confused messaging coming from the Government which hasn’t been helpful at all.

‘However, the community continues to follow social distancing and messages in Hebrew and Yiddish are always being made available to the community.’

Stamford Hill locals on social media complained of large gatherings and loud music yesterday, with many asking how the police could let this go on.

One wrote on Twitter: ‘Why oh why was this allowed to happen late into last night, and all of today?

‘This area has been so severely affected by the virus, gatherings like this are so dangerous, for the Orthodox community and their neighbours too.’

Another said: ‘3 police cars 10 officers and a fire engine in the street and now a party taking place next to me with a fire in the back garden. So social distancing is over is it?’

The local Stamford Hill branch of the Metropolitan Police posted several times on Twitter about coming across unsafe bonfire piles close to garages and vehicles.

Retweeting the post, officers in neighbouring Springfield, added that they had been called out to people using bouncy castles in communal spaces.

They wrote: ‘This is not acceptable at present. Fire should also not be being set in public spaces, next to vehicles or in any manner that may cause danger. Thanks to everyone staying safe!’

But neither Springfield nor Stamford Hill police later posted about the mass-gatherings in the streets.

In a statement, the Met said: ‘On the evening of Tuesday, 12 May police were called to reports of a large numbers of the Hasidic Jewish community gathered in areas of Stamford Hill, N16.

‘Officers attended and engaged with those present to remind them of their responsibilities under the current regulations.

‘Local police will continue to engage with representatives from the community to encourage them to observe the guidance and legislation while it remains in place.’

Jewish leaders back in March warned that messages about the risks of coronavirus were not reaching people in the ultra-Orthodox community.

At the time, Rabbi Abraham Pinter told the the Guardian that most people were heeding the guidelines, but he warned: ‘The issue I’m concerned about it is that the government is, to a certain degree, abdicating responsibility. People need to be told.’

Just three weeks after issuing his warning, Rabbi Pinter, a much-loved Principal of Yesoday Hatorah Girls’ School who served as a local councillor in Stamford Hill, tragically passed away after contracting coronavirus.