Richmond council have hit back today saying that a local lockdown is not on the cards.

The Daily Express reported that Teddington maybe included in one of the areas forced to lockdown due to fears of a coronavirus outbreak.

This comes as Leicester has had to lockdown due to a surge in number of cases.

The council however have strongly denied these claims.

Councillor Piers Allen, Chair of the Adult Social Care and Housing Committee, and Chair of the Richmond Health and Well-being Board said:

"Despite reports in the national papers, Richmond is not about to go into another lockdown. It is grossly irresponsible of the Daily Express to publish a report without double checking their information first.

"However, it would be naive to suggest that we haven't got any local cases – but compared to elsewhere in the country, our numbers are low.

"We want to rid our borough of Coronavirus – and we can only do this if residents play their part.

"Should we ever be in a position where we do have a local outbreak, we will be publishing our plan later this week on how we would work with our local partners to respond."

From the start of the pandemic in March to the 28th June, Richmond upon Thames has seen a total of 418 confirmed cases and 145 deaths.

In the week leading up to the 28th June, there were only two confirmed cases.

This is low compared to many other London boroughs.

Teddington residents along with all residents of Richmond borough however are encouraged to remain vigilant and adhere to social distancing rules.