THE need for everyone to self-isolate coupled with the complete lack of tourists means the Durham Pointers are not going to be able to be in their usual spot in the city's Market Place – but they will be maintaining a virtual presence.

Normally they would be donning their pink tabards, dusting off their pink tricycle and looking forward to greeting visitors to the city starting on Easter Saturday.

But this year they will have a virtual presence on their website and social media platforms.

Durham Pointers have always helped local people as well as tourists and they have a wealth of information on their temporary web page http://www.durhampointers.co.uk to help residents cope with this situation.

Durham Pointers spokesperson Ruth Rutter said: "It is a way for us to still point people towards things. Indeed it may well be that this information is more comprehensive than that found on specific websites.

"It is well worth a look. It has links to local shops with a delivery service and also local organisations offering support. It is constantly updated when there are new initiatives from a wide variety of sources. Their Facebook page likewise is a treasure trove of useful information .

There are fun things too both on their Facebook and Instagram pages showing what they get up to when not on duty.