The number of recorded coronavirus cases in Dorset increased by 442 in the last 24 hours, official figures show.

Public Health England figures show that 9,407 people had been confirmed as testing positive for Covid-19 by 9am on Thursday in the Dorset Council area, up by 179 from 9,228 the same time on Wednesday.

The number of cases in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole increased by 263.

A total of 21,548 people had been confirmed as testing positive in the BCP area, up from 21,285.The health body is now including Pillar 2 tests – those carried out by commercial partners – alongside Pillar 1 tests, which are analysed in NHS or PHE laboratories and which made up the first stage of the Government's mass testing programme.

Across the UK, the number of recorded cases increased by 28,680 over the period, to 3,743,734.

Dorset's cases were among the 186,411 recorded across the South West, a figure which rose by 2,094 over the period.

Cumulative case counts include patients who are currently unwell, have recovered and those that have died.