A CHRISTMAS top inspired by the Prime Minister's 'jolly careful' speech has been created by a Warrington company less than 24 hours later.

Boris Johnson used the expression at a press briefing on Monday night while advising the public to take precautions over the festive period and by Tuesday designers across the country – including JAK Ward Designs – were capitalising on his Christmas catchphrase.

JAK Ward's tongue-in-cheek take on the PM's 'jolly careful' phrase and pandemic life in the run-up to Christmas is a festive skull and candy cane crossbones design.

Kyle Ward from the Callands-based clothes company, said: "We came up with the design pretty much straight away. I thought that'd would be good on a tee. We are a new business and wanted to put something different out there."

Mr Johnson warned the nation that December is 'not the moment to let the virus rip for the sake of Christmas parties', adding: "'Tis the season to be jolly, but it is also the season to be jolly careful, especially with elderly relatives."

He added that the months ahead 'will be hard' and 'they will be cold', but this foreboding speech has since been evoked in illustrations designed to spread Christmas cheer by retail giants as well as independent illustrators.

Nicole Beswick is another Warrington designer whose creations touch on finding the funny side of lockdown life.

Warrington Guardian:

One of the Orford resident's recent cards for the online retailer Thortful takes the mickey out of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty's frequent use of slides during press conferences.

In the illustration he is in a Santa hat saying: 'Next Christmas please'.

To buy the JAK Ward design visit jak-ward.teemill.com