South Lakes MP Tim Farron said his "heart goes out" to those who have lost loved ones after the number of Covid deaths in South Lakeland in 2020 was revealed.

Office of National Statistics figures showed week-by-week data of all deaths across England and Wales, with 3,451 deaths occurring in South Lakeland as 442 people died as a result of Covid-19.

This meant that 12.8 per cent of all deaths in 2020 were Covid-related, according to ONS figures.

This was lower than the percentage of Covid deaths to other causes in south Cumbria neighbour Barrow, which is 14.5 per cent with 303 from a total of 2087.

Mr Farron, who is the MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said: “My heart goes out to everyone who has lost a loved one during the pandemic.

“These figures bring into sharp focus just how truly dangerous and devastating this virus is.

“However, the vaccine gives us real hope of being able to overcome this crisis – that’s why it’s so important that every possible effort is thrown behind rolling out the vaccine as quickly as possible so we can prevent many more lives being cruelly lost to Covid-19.”

The Westmorland Gazette: Silk flowers on a gravestone.Silk flowers on a gravestone.

The way in which data on deaths has been calculated for local authorities means comparison with previous years is more difficult, with the most recent being the year of 2018, when a mortality rate of 833.8 per 100,000 people was calculated by ONS.

The data going back from 2001 (1118 per 100,000) shows a steady decline in mortality rate in South Lakeland, and last year would certainly see this change with the district thought to have a population of around 105,000.

The largest spike was in week 17 of 2020, (April 20-26) when 134 deaths took place.

Nationally, ONS reported a total death toll of 608,002 in 2020, which The Times reported to be up 15 per cent from 530,841 in 2019.

It has also been reported that nationally it is the largest increase in the number of deaths in a single year in England and Wales since 1940.

This comes as the pressures on hospitals and other emergency service responders increases in what is now the third national lockdown.

Police and Cumbria's public health director have urged people to follow coronavirus guidelines recently as well, with more breaches being documented last weekend.