Burnley MP confident town is heading in the right direction despite 'disappointing' Tier 3 announcement

Mr Higginbotham said this showed the town was moving in the right direction, but while the R rate in region was lower than in many parts of the country, NHS bed capacity did remain a worry.

"Like many, I am disappointed with today's announcement," he said. "We have had restrictions on our lives, and businesses restrictions on their ability to trade, for longer than most.

"Moving into Tier 3 will not be easy and in the House of Commons earlier today I highlighted the impact this will have, and the support we need. I will be doing all I can to help businesses and residents and explain what the change means.

"We’ve made a lot of progress over the past few weeks but our cases still remain higher than elsewhere. I know some have queried the local R rate, which is lower in the North West than it is in many parts of the country.

"This shows we are moving clearly in the right direction and as the Health Secretary says, we have halved our rate locally. But, disappointingly, other indicators including NHS bed capacity, remain worrying.

"I was also disappointed to see yesterday that the council asked the Government to put us in Tier 3. This was not a decision they consulted me on, nor one which I thought was helpful.

"I will continue to speak to the Chancellor and other Ministers about the local impact these measures are having, ensuring that there is sufficient support in place to protect our economy as best we can.

"Grants for businesses required to close remain in place and I'd ask any business struggling to access these to get in contact with me."