The most deprived areas have experienced twice as many deaths from Covid-19 than the least deprived, new figures show.

The Health Foundation said the figures, published by the ONS, reveal a ‘clear and worrying trend'.

Senior fellow David Finch said: ‘It is too early to say for sure what is driving this trend. The link to deprivation is complex given the virus has spread more in densely populated urban areas that tend to be more deprived.

'However, there are clearly ways in which existing inequalities mean the crisis is having a disproportionate impact on certain groups. Those facing greater socio-economic disadvantage tend to live in cramped housing conditions and many are now classified as essential workers who don't have the option of working from home, placing them at higher risk of exposure to COVID-19.'

Mr Finch also warned that people living in more deprived areas are at risk of suffering from severe symptoms from the virus as they are more likely to have one or more long-term health conditions.

The ONS figures also reveal that the local authorities with the highest age-standardised mortality rates for deaths involving Covid-19 were all London boroughs.