Coronavirus cases have risen in the Cotswolds, but the area does have the third lowest case rate in the South West.

The Cotswolds recorded 327 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending September 3, up from 264 in the week before – an increase of 63.

The case rate is slightly higher than the national average, which is 324 per 100,000 people, as of the week ending September 3.

Fifteen of the 17 reporting areas in the region recorded a case rate higher than the national average.

The worst case rates were in Swindon, Sedgemoor and Stroud which reported 447 cases per 100,000, 429 and 406 respectively.

The lowest case rates were recorded in Tewkesbury, with 302, followed by Dorset with 314 and The Cotswolds with 327.

These figures were provided by Public Health England.

Released yesterday, the rates for local authorities across the UK show a concerning rise in Covid infection rates.

Of the 377 local areas, 276 have seen a week-on-week rise in infection rates.

The recent rise has been driven by the Delta variant, which spreads faster than the previously most common Kent variant (now named Alpha).