HALTON has recorded one of the biggest week-on-week increases in the number of Covid-19 cases in the UK.

Figures from Public Health England show the area recorded 1,126 new cases in the seven days to January 2 – the equivalent of 870.1 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 271 new cases in the seven days to December 26 - 209.4 per 100,000.

Data for the most recent four days (January 3-6) has been excluded as it is incomplete and does not reflect the true number of cases.

Of the 315 local areas in England, 309 have seen a rise in case rates and six have seen a fall.

Barking and Dagenham in London continues to have the highest rate in England, with 3,380 new cases recorded in the seven days to January 2 - the equivalent of 1,587.6 cases per 100,000 people.

This is up from 1,057.7 in the seven days to December 26.

Thurrock in Essex has the second highest rate, followed by Redbridge in London.