BURNLEY'S rolling seven-day rate of new cases of coronavirus has rocketed to more than 230 per 100,000 of the borough's population.

The town has the country's second highest rate, up from 113.6 to 233.9 with 208 new cases.

Bolton has the highest rate after 696 new cases were recorded there in the seven days to September 22 – the equivalent of 242.0 per 100,000 people.

Blackburn with Darwen has the sixth highest rate with 207.1 after 310 cases were recorded, a large rise on the rate of 110.2 logged seven days before.

And Pendle's rate is in 10th spot after its rate doubled to 192.2 following 177 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)