Lancashire businesses have already stepped up and offered accommodation for key workers supporting the coronavirus response in the county.

And more companies are encouraged to follow this example.

The Lancashire Resilience Forum, which is coordinating the county's response to the pandemic has thanked people for their offers of support for key workers.

This will help to ensure that vital services can continue while Covid-19 affects the whole country.

So far, offers of support for almost 1,000 people have been received around the county from the education sector and hotels offering their accommodation.

These include Stirk House at Gisburn, Mytton Fold Hotel at Langho, The Old Stone Trough Country Lodge at Kelbrook and Mercure Dunkenhalgh Hotel & Spa at Clayton-le-Moors

This will help by providing workers from the emergency services with a safe space, in the event they can't return home due to family self-isolating.

Garry Payne, chief executive of Wyre Borough Council and spokesperson for the Lancashire Resilience Forum, said: "Lots of offers have already come in, and we really appreciate them and we give our thanks to those companies.

"More accommodation is likely to be needed in the future, if conditions change. So we're asking people to think about whether their business could also help the efforts.

"We'd like to hear from businesses who have available space to accommodate workers, and are happy to lend a hand to people who are doing amazing jobs during this difficult and unprecedented time.  This is about us doing what we can to support them."

Lancashire Police's own training facilities at Hutton are also being used to support the need for staff accommodation.

The NHS are also coordinating their own efforts for their own key workers.

Arrangements will be made direct through organisations about housing their key workers, if required. People don't need to contact venues themselves at this time.

If your business or organisation could help by providing space to help key workers, please visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/business/accommodation-support or call 0300 123 6787.