The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Thurrock increased by 269 in a 24-hour period, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 14,749 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Friday (January 15) in Thurrock, up from 14,480 the same time on Thursday.

The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

The rate of infection in Thurrock now stands at 8,460 cases per 100,000 people, far higher than the England average of 5,126.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 55,761 over the period, to 3,316,019.

Thurrock's cases were among the 288,081 recorded across the East of England, a figure which rose by 6,573 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.