THE MP for a borough with low coronavirus rates has condemned its inclusion in tough Covid-19 restrictions covering Lancashire.

Ribble Valley Tory Nigel Evans said: “I am disappointed at the imposition of lockdown in my constituency.

“Despite East Lancashire having had a high number of cases for some time, up until recently the Ribble Valley had continued to see very low numbers of cases usually hovering around the national average.

"Although cases have more than doubled in the borough in the last few weeks, the rise in infections is still considerably less than neighbouring areas in Lancashire, and lower than Blackpool which has not had restrictions placed upon it.

“The Ribble Valley has had the lowest level of infections in Lancashire throughout the whole of the pandemic, and continues to have a lower infection rate than all parts of the county except Lancaster.

"I will be pushing ministers to ensure that when the Ribble Valley’s cases fall, that restrictions are lifted as soon as it is safe to do so,

"Residents have diligently stuck to the guidance throughout the pandemic. I know the new restrictions will be incredibly frustrating to a lot of people."