Angry Leicester Mayor says he's not seen data to show city needs local lockdown

29 June 2020, 08:17

Angry Leicester Mayor responds to reports over local Covid lockdown

Mayor of Leicester Sir Peter Soulsby tells LBC he is "angry and frustrated" that a meeting with the government has been cancelled and insisted he hasn't seen data to show they need a local lockdown.

Testing data will be analysed this morning to see if it's necessary to impose a local lockdown in Leicester.

There has been a surge in Covid-19 cases in the city with 866 new infections reported in the last fortnight.

But the Mayor didn't hold back when he spoke to Nick Ferrari this morning.

He said: "I'm very angry and very frustrated this morning because the 9am meeting has been cancelled by the government officials who were due to meet with us.

"What I've had instead - arriving at four minutes past one in my inbox - is a copy of their actual recommendations for Leicester.

"It's been briefed very dramatically this weekend as 'local lockdown in Leicester'. Actually, what they are apparently considering according to this report is to extend for two weeks the present level of restrictions, which are lifted on 4th July in the rest of the country.

"But even that is not justified by any of the figures that they've let us have.

"There's been incredible frustration in getting figures out of them. They dumped the first load on us last Thursday after weeks of asking and at four minutes past one this morning, I finally found out what they really are considering for Leicester.

"And when looking at the report, I realise there is very little substance in it."

Watch his full interview at the top of the page.