AN East Lancashire MP has been quizzing ministers on their coronavirus strategy.

Burnley Tory backbencher Antony Higginbotham has tackled health secretary Matt Hancock and Treasury chief secretary Steve Barclay in the House of Commons.

He told them people needed to see 'light at the end of the tunnel'.

He told Mr Hancock: "Burnley has had additional restrictions in place for longer than most areas and is now in tier three, the very high level.

"To do that, we need a sense of optimism and light at the end of the tunnel, so will the you outline what the exit strategy is from ​tier three into tier two and then into tier one?

Mr Hancock replied: " It has been very difficult for Burnley, which has now seen the highest case rate among the over-60s in the whole country. It is so important, to protect people in Burnley, that everybody follows the rules there.

"First, we have to get the case rate and the cases among the over-60s falling. Once that starts to happen we can talk about when we can start to relax the restrictions—I do not want to have them in place for a moment longer than is necessary."

Mr Higginbotham later asked Mr Barclay: "Businesses across Burnley and Padiham, from bookkeepers to bars and pubs, have had to close as the county of Lancashire has entered tier three restrictions.

"Could you set out what measures are available to support them over the next couple of months?"

Mr Barclay said: "As a Lancastrian myself, I am acutely aware of the impact on the county of Lancashire, which is why we negotiated additional business support."