A CARAVAN park in County Durham is providing accommodation to those who could not return home before the Government introduced restrictions to reduce the spread of coronavirus.

All hotels, hostels and caravan parks have been told to close and Witton Castle caravan park, near Bishop Auckland, was no exception.

The park has been closed to the public and will remain closed for the duration of the pandemic.

The park is currently not taking any bookings.

There are some exceptions laid out by the Government about who can stay at a hotel or holiday park.

Thomas Hague, general manager, said: “The majority of customers have complied, but we have a limited number of special circumstances that have been laid out in the government guidelines that we are strictly adhering to.

"We have been working with the local council and the local MP, both have been extremely helpful.”

The caravan site is currently home to two nurses who have caravans from the NHS and do not want to return home as they pose a risk of spreading the virus to their families.

Temporary accommodation has been offered to elderly ex-pats who are stuck at the park as they cannot return to their properties abroad, and a couple who were caught up moving house and cannot move after the government urged buyers not to move during the pandemic.