BOLTON'S rolling seven-day rate of new cases of coronavirus has rocketed to 240 per 100,000 of the borough's population.

There have been 696 new cases recorded in the town in the seven days to September 22 – the equivalent of 242.0 per 100,000 people.

It continues to record the highest rate in England, up from 197.5 in the seven days to September 15.

Burnley has the second highest rate, up from 113.6 to 233.9 with 208 new cases.

Knowsley is in third place, where the rate has risen from 125.3 to 230.7, with 348 new cases.

Other areas recording sharp increases in their seven-day rates include:

- Newcastle upon Tyne (up from 74.0 to 208.7, with 632 new cases)

- Halton (up from 100.5 to 206.3, with 267 new cases)

- Liverpool (up from 124.5 to 227.3 with 1,132 new cases)

- Pendle (up from 91.2 to 192.2 with 177 new cases)

- Sunderland (up from 75.6 to 173.9, with 483 new cases)

The list has been calculated by the PA news agency and is based on Public Health England data published on September 25 on the Government's coronavirus dashboard.

The figures, for the seven days to September 22, are based on tests carried out in laboratories (pillar one of the Government's testing programme) and in the wider community (pillar two).

The rate is expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people.

Data for the most recent three days (September 23-25) has been excluded as it is incomplete and likely to be revised.

Here is the top 10 of the places with the highest rates (From left to right, it reads: name of local authority; rate of new cases in the seven days to September 22; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to September 22; rate of new cases in the seven days to September 15; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to September 15):

Bolton 242.0 (696), 197.5 (568)

Burnley 233.9 (208), 113.6 (101)

Knowsley 230.7 (348), 125.3 (189)

Liverpool 227.3 (1132), 124.5 (620)

Newcastle upon Tyne 208.7 (632), 74.0 (224)

Blackburn with Darwen 207.1 (310), 110.2 (165)

Halton 206.3 (267), 100.5 (130)

South Tyneside 199.4 (301), 126.5 (191)

Bury 195.3 (373), 119.9 (229)

Pendle 192.2 (177), 91.2 (84)