The borough's director of public health has delivered a plea to local people to follow the lockdown rules as she revealed some stark statistics of increases in Covid-19 cases.

Kelly O'Neill, Hounslow Council's Director of Public Health, said the rate of infection was 1,100 for every 100,000 people as of Friday. This equates to 3,000 people having tested positive over the past seven days.

She said increasing numbers of people were being taken to local hospitals and that 200 people are currently in Brentford's West Middlesex Hospital with the virus and the number is expected to soar over the coming weeks.

"Many of the people in hospital are being ventilated, some are in intensive care," she said.

And in a stark warning, she said: "Over the next few weeks we are going to see more deaths."

The health chief made an impassioned plea to people to follow the rules.

"We are all fed up of lockdown, I am fed up of lockdown. But we need to follow the rules – hands, face and space?

"There are teams of carers, doctors, nurses and key workers working across the borough to look after us all. Please, do the right thing."

The government is due to give a briefing later today amid speculation that tighter restrictions may be necessary to tackle the virus.

Media reports over the weekend said ministers may look to closing nurseries and bringing in tighter restriction on exercise and supermarkets.