Figures released today show there has been a significant drop in the coronavirus infection rate across three of East Lancashire's boroughs.

According to the rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19, in the seven days to August 22, the rate in Blackburn with Darwen fell from 86.2 cases per 100,000 people to 56.1 per 100,000 people.

And just 84 new cases were recorded across the borough in the same time frame.

Elsewhere, Pendle, which has the highest rate of infection in England, recorded just 56 new cases in the seven days to August 22, dropping to 60.8 cases per 100,000 people, compared to 86.9 per 100,000 people in the seven days to August 15.

And over in Burnley the rate fell even further, dropping to 22.5 cases per 100,000 people from 48.4 cases per 100,000 people.

The figures are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government’s testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two), and are based on Public Health England data published on August 25 on the Government’s coronavirus online dashboard.

Data for the most recent three days (August 23-25) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

The rate in Oldham, which is second on the infection rate list, is 56.9, down from 85.2, with 135 new cases.

While in Leicester, the rate continues to fall, down from 52.5 to 44.6, with 158 new cases.

Three other areas have rates above 40 per 100,000: Manchester (44.0), Bradford (42.4) and Swindon (41.9).

The following list of 22 local authorities, from left to right, reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to August 22; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 22; rate of new cases in the seven days to August 15; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to August 15.

Pendle 60.8 (56), 86.9 (80)

Oldham 56.9 (135), 85.2 (202)

Blackburn with Darwen 56.1 (84), 86.2 (129)

Leicester 44.6 (158), 52.5 (186)

Manchester 44.0 (243), 48.7 (269)

Bradford 42.4 (229), 56.1 (303)

Swindon 41.9 (93), 40.1 (89)

Northampton 38.3 (86), 116.2 (261)

Rochdale 35.5 (79), 40.5 (90)

Bury 35.1 (67), 33.0 (63)

Oadby and Wigston 31.6 (18), 24.6 (14)

Redditch 29.3 (25), 5.9 (5)

Calderdale 28.8 (61), 39.3 (83)

Tameside 28.3 (64), 30.0 (68)

Oxford 26.2 (40), 21.0 (32)

Salford 25.9 (67), 37.5 (97)

Kirklees 25.5 (112), 36.4 (160)

Kettering 24.6 (25), 11.8 (12)

Preston 23.8 (34), 38.4 (55)

Windsor and Maidenhead 23.1 (35), 6.6 (10)

Birmingham 22.7 (259), 32.7 (373)

Burnley 22.5 (20), 48.4 (43)