THE first case of coronavirus in a Blackburn with Darwen has been confirmed.

New figures released by Public Health England further show that number of people with the Covid-19 infection has almost doubled to 15 across Lancashire in the last 24 hours.

This comes as Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council confirmed that local authority-run facilities, including leisure centres, will shut from tomorrow.

In statement published this evening the council said: "Coronavirus is the greatest public health crisis this country and our borough has faced in generations.

"Our priority as we face this crisis together is to protect the most vulnerable in Blackburn with Darwen, the health and wellbeing of our staff and to make sure we keep essential services running as normally as possible while providing residents and businesses with reliable information about what the risks of the epidemic are to local people and what we are doing about it.

"We want everyone to be assured that the actions we are taking are in line with national advice and guidance.

"Given the new guidance issued by the government over social distancing, the Council has taken several decisions. You can find out how services and Council venues have been impacted so far below.

"As this crisis is fast evolving, we will keep these decisions under daily review.

"We are a resilient borough. We act in a calm but determined way. Indeed, one of our greatest strengths is our community spirit, our kindness and our ability to work together.

"By working together, by being kind and by supporting each other, we can tackle the challenges head on and come through this crisis."