The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Dorset increased by 501 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 7,006 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Wednesday in the Dorset Council area, up from 6,896 the same time on Tuesday.

The number of recorded cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 391 to 15,941.

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.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 47,525 over the period, to 3,211,576.

Dorset and BCP cases were among the 153,410 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 2,732 over the period.

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