Eight new coronavirus deaths have been recorded at the East Lancashire Hospitals Trust in the latest 24-hour period, the latest official figures show.

NHS England figures show 982 people had died in Blackburn and Burnley's hospitals as of 5pm on Tuesday (February 23).

That was an increase of eight compared to Monday, when there were 974.

It means there have been 22 deaths in the past week, down from 42 the previous week.

The victims were among 13,436 deaths recorded across the North West, which is the third-worst affected of England's seven NHS regions after the midlands and London.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death.

This means some of the deaths that were first recorded in the latest period may actually have taken place days earlier.

NHS England guidance states: "Confirmation of Covid-19 diagnosis, death notification and reporting in central figures can take up to several days and the hospitals providing the data are under significant operational pressure."

Only deaths that occur in hospitals where the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 are recorded, with deaths in the community excluded, such as those in care homes.