Today Richmond Borough's Covid rates shot up to the highest in the capital with 112 cases per 100,000 people.

However Head of Richmond Council Gareth Roberts has called these figures into question.

That is because 40% of the tests have no location attributed to them.

This means there is no evidence they actually took place in the borough.

Almost a quarter of those where the location is known were tested far away from London – including places such as Leeds, Exeter, Manchester and Durham.

The data also shows that these individuals are aged 17-21 years old - so these could be university students whose home is in Richmond but they are currently not in the borough.

As the Capital is hurtling towards potential further restrictions, the Leader of Richmond Council is demanding that before any additional measures are put in place, the Government urgently reviews the data.

Councillor Gareth Roberts, said:

"This is the latest 'Testing Shambles of the Week' and the Government needs to get a grip. This is not just a Richmond issue, it's not even just a London issue; this is a national issue. Before any further restrictions are put in place the data needs to be cleansed and correct.

"Some of our positive cases seem to be students who may have acquired the infection in other parts of the country. So why are they being attributed to Richmond?

"People need to have the confidence in the data, if they don't then how can we expect people to follow the rules. Come on Mr Hancock – we know your Government struggle with algorithms – but get a grip!"

You can find more Richmond Borough Covid information HERE