The new strain appears to combine two mutations that make it both faster spreading and slightly more resistant to vaccines
It raises the concern that the more rapid spreading Kent variant, known scientifically as B.1.1.7, will now also become more resistant to coronavirus vaccinations.
The new mutation is called the E484K mutation, which has also been seen in the variants spreading in South African and Brazil, and is thought to make the current vaccines less effective - although it does not stop them working entirely.
According to Public Health England, the new double mutation has been detected in at least 11 samples in the Bristol area.
Bristol City Council said plans are now under way to 'ramp up' testing across the area, but it has not been conformed if this means door-to-door swabs,
A cluster of 32 cases of the original strain of the virus in Liverpool have the same E484K mutation
The South African variant - which also shows the mutation - is under investigation in at least eight postcode areas of England where cases not linked to travel have been found.