THE deputy leader of a council has protested about the reduction of mobile coronavirus testing units in his borough.

Pendle's Cllr David Whipp is furious about the change which follows the government forcing Lancashire County Council to axe ‘pop-up’ centres where people can walk in are from Sunday for an extension of the national network in the county.

Now the government mobile test units based in Pendle is being halved from next week leaving the borough without any at all this weekend.

Cllr Whipp said, "Pendle people are seeing amongst the highest infection rates in the country. Cutting testing isn't going to improve things. Making it more difficult to get tested will make things worse."

Meanwhile following the shake-up of testing across Lancashire, Blackburn with Darwen Council has said its two walk-in testing centres at Railway Road in Darwen and at Blackburn College remain open for those with symptoms as do the sites at Corporation Park and outside the Royal Blackburn Hospital.