A LABOUR Party analysis of government coronavirus test and trace statistics shows that only just over half of Lancashire residents in close contact with people who registered positive for Covid-19 were tracked down.

Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Rachel Reeves claimed the figures showed that 26,000 contacts were never traced in the North-West of England.

She said this was further evidence that the system was failing and that the country needed a short total lockdown 'circuit breaker'.

Mrs Reeves has published figures claiming the North-West was the poorest performing region of test and trace in England than that out of 61,489 people in contact with those who tested positive for Covid-19, just 35,257 were traced and contacted - 57.3 per cent of the total - leaving 26,232 not reached.

In Blackburn with Darwen the figures were 1,214 contacts identified and 614 reached (50.6 per cent of the total) leaving 600 untraced.

In Blackpool the equivalent figures were 608 identified, 357 traced (58.7 per cent) and 251 not contacted.

In the Lancashire County Council area (including Burnley, Hyndburn, Ribble Valley, Pendle and Rossendale ) there were 7,764 coronavirus contacts identified of which 4,527 were traced (58.3 per cent of the total) leaving 3,237 not traced.

Mrs Reeves said: “We are at a decisive moment in our efforts to tackle coronavirus, and these figures are a new low for a test and trace system on the verge of collapse.

“That is why Labour is calling for a short, sharp circuit break to fix testing, protect the NHS and save lives.”