NINE more coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in south Essex.

NHS England statistics show that in the past 24 hours, one more death from Covid-19 was recorded at Basildon Hospital, with an additional eight deaths recorded at Southend Hospital.

This brings the total for Basildon Hospital to 261 and 190 deaths at Southend.

That combined with the 16 deaths recorded at the Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust in Runwell brings the total number of deaths in south Essex hospitals from the virus to 467.

The UK has recorded another 363 hospital deaths from Covid-19 from Tuesday to Wednesday, taking the official total among people who have tested positive to 35,704.

NHS England said 166 people had died in its hospitals, while a further 197 people died in the other three nations and in care homes, private homes elsewhere in the community.

Another 2,472 people have been diagnosed with the virus, taking the total number of cases to 248,293 - the fifth highest in the world.

However, none of those cases were in the East of England, of which Essex is part.