AS officials suggest Leicester could be kept in lockdown for a further two weeks, our region still has the highest number of cases per head.

Overall, the North-East has the highest number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people across the country.

Latest figures from Public Health England shows there are 397.1 per 100,000 residents in the region, slightly higher than in the North-West.

Four council areas in the North-East are in the country's highest ten where the number of cases per head remains significantly higher than the rest.

It comes as the UK's estimated 'R' number, the average number of secondary infections produced by 1 infected person, is currently between 0.7 and 0.9.

The North-East and North Yorkshire is currently averaging between 0.7 and 0.9 - meanwhile, the North-West is averaging between 0.7 and 1.0.

How the region's cases compare with England - as of June 28:

1. North East - 10,554 cases - 397.1 cases per 100,000

2. North West - 27,269 cases - 374.0 per 100,000

3. London - 27,642 cases - 310.3 per 100,000

4. West Midlands - 17,055 cases - 289.0 per 100,000

5. Yorkshire and The Humber - 15,322 cases - 279.6 per 100,000

6. South East - 22,803 cases - 249.7 per 100,000

7. East of England - 15,196 cases - 245.0 per 100,000

8. East Midlands - 9,914 cases - 206.4 per 100,000

9. South West - 7,948 cases - 141.9 per 100,000

The areas with the highest cases per head in England - as of June 28:

1. Barrow-in-Furness - 572 cases - 852.0 per 100,000

2. Ashford - 926 cases - 716.3 per 100,000

3. Lancaster - 811 cases -  562.2 per 100,000

4. South Lakeland - 542 cases - 518.5 per 100,000

5. Gateshead - 1,016 cases - 501.7 per 100,000

6. Sunderland - 1,387 cases - 500.0 per 100,000

7. South Tyneside - 751 cases - 499.8 per 100,000

8. Middlesbrough - 698 cases - 496.6 per 100,000

9. Oldham - 1,157 cases - 491.0 per 100,000

10. Blackpool - 682 cases -489.6 per 100,000

Yesterday, Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, admitted he is "worried" about a possible spike in coronavirus infections ahead of further lockdown easing on July 4.

Speaking to the BBC, he said: "In truth, the restrictions started to to be lifted towards the end of May, the beginning of June, around that bank holiday.

"I would predict, I would guess, that we will start to see a few increases in cases towards the end of June or the first week of July.

"We're on a knife edge, it's very precarious the situation, particularly in England at the moment, and I would anticipate we would see an increase in new cases over the coming weeks."

It comes as Leicester has seen a spike in Covid-19 cases, prompting officials to suggest a local lockdown is imposed. 

Such a lockdown, which some officials hope is introduced before July 4, would be the first to be imposed in the UK.

From July 4, restaurants, pubs and cafes will be allowed to reopen their doors following more than three months of closure.