LYME Regis have seen their Devon & Exeter League Premier East clash at University of Exeter Seconds on Saturday called off due to Covid-19 fears.

The Seasiders this week wrote to league officials expressing their concern over the viability of the fixture.

Statistics show that between Monday, September 28 and Friday, October 2 there were 223 incidences of coronavirus in the Pennsylvania and University areas of Exeter.

The University area has therefore jumped into the top 10 areas of England with positive Covid-19 tests.

With many Lyme Regis players self-employed, the Seasiders were worried that any possible infections could have a knock-on effect on some squad members’ livelihoods.

Speaking to the Bridport News, joint-manager Mark Bailey felt Saturday’s fixture had become unviable.

“They had a meeting (Tuesday) night.

“Speaking to our players at training, they’re not comfortable with playing.

“Most of the lads are self-employed and all it takes is one to flag up on the track and trace, and everyone’s off work. It’s a pretty untenable situation for the self-employed lads.

“There are obviously health concerns for their family and the vulnerable around them.

“We saw a report where a crazy proportion of Devon’s Covid cases are within the university. It would feel quite irresponsible to go and play.

“We’ve contacted the league saying we’re really unhappy.”

Lyme also exploring the possibility of facing a different league opponent this weekend, if possible, to avoid a fixture pile-up.