A front line doctor in Madrid has urged Britons to stay strong and obey the rules as the country faces a second wave of coronavirus.

"We only have to do this for a few more weeks, not forever," Dr Moreno Santiago said.

"Things like wearing a mask we only need to do for a few short weeks and in that time we can control the pandemic, if not we are going to pay for this. It will be very, very, very costly."

The warning comes as Spain struggles through its own new outbreaks, with data showing it is six weeks ahead of the UK.

Some 27 districts of Madrid went into new lockdown measures this week, in theory preventing inhabitants from leaving unless they have to go to work or need medical care.

Spanish police carried out spot checks in areas of capital Madrid, two days after a selective lockdown was imposed pic.twitter.com/suaspMS4xN

— Reuters (@Reuters) September 23, 2020

We spent the day in one district and saw how few people were obeying it.

Police at a checkpoint admitted they could only check every 10 or 15 cars going in or out, meaning citizens would need to self-police and there is no enforcement on the subway in.

Inside the locked-down zones life appears reasonably normal with shops open and streets busy.

The new measures have largely targeted poorer southern districts of Madrid where many live closer together in smaller apartments.

It has further exacerbated the sense of social divide and hit those already struggling the most.

"There are plenty of in Madrid very, very angry about what's happening."

Protesters have taken to the streets in parts of Spain ahead of #coronavirus lockdown restrictions being enforced tomorrow.

Sky's @AliBunkallSKY has the latest.

More: https://t.co/aMDL8BYpqu pic.twitter.com/ii5X1fN7aK

— SkyNews (@SkyNews) September 20, 2020

Food banks are busy again with many of the users newly unemployed.

Francisco and Carmel are both out of a job and they are running out of hope.

"We want people to help us to give us a future where we value ourselves because the way we are living has no future, this isn't a life, even if you wanted it to be," Carmel told us.

Francisco was equally desperate: "To be honest I am hoping for help from my friends to find work soon because I am of a working age and can work.

"I am hoping for an opportunity because all I want is a chance to keep going ahead just like the rest of the world."