YOUNG people in a borough are being urged to get coronavirus tests in advance of their return to school, following the example of the senior councillor in charge of education,

With classroom sdue to be back in operation next month, Blackburn with Darwen Council’s youth services bosses are advising students to check whether they have got Covid-19.

They believe this is important as younger people are less likely to show symptoms but can still spread the infection.

Cllr Julie Gunn - Blackburn with Darwen Council’s children, and young people’s services boss - said: “It’s easy to get tested – you can either go to one of the local test centres or order a home test kit which arrives in the post and you normally get the results back quickly, within 24 hours.

“I took the test last week, it was really simple and the results were back the next day.”

Jayne Ivory, the borough’s director of education, said: “Often young people can carry coronavirus without showing any symptoms. The more young people that get tested, the more we can find these hidden cases."