Dozens of police officers in Gloucestershire are self-isolating after a member of the force tested positive for Covid-19.

The coronavirus case meant a judge was forced to delay the trial of a Stroud man as the officer in charge of the case was isolating.

Jack Gregson, 27 of Foxes Dell, Nailsworth, had been due to stand trial on Monday over allegations of using controlling and coercive behaviour towards a woman.

But the Court was also told by the prosecutor that 35 Gloucestershire Police personnel were self-isolating among a number of other reasons the case was not -trial ready’.

A spokesperson for Gloucestershire Constabulary said: “This is the first positive case in the Constabulary since early March 2021 and those who are isolating are now working diligently from home, meaning the impact has been kept to an absolute minimum.

“Where appropriate, a proportion of our staff have worked remotely during the pandemic and our working practices have adapted and are now well established to ensure that services continue normally.

“The individual who tested positive had no contact with the wider public and traditional frontline services of neighbourhood and response policing are not affected.”

The court case is expected to last longer than the four days allocated for the hearing.

Judge Barry Cotter QC said he was very unhappy with the situation especially as there was a huge backlog in cases and it was too late in the day to arrange for an alternative trial to be held in place of Mr Gregson's at the Nightingale Court in Cirencester.

The case will be reviewed by the resident judge on Thursday.