Hundreds of extra deaths have been recorded in south Essex since the start of the pandemic, new figures have shown.

The data released by the Office for National Statistics will show the true impact of coronavirus in the UK, health experts have said.

It shows the total number of deaths has risen significantly above the expected number of deaths because of Covid-19.

The expected total is based on figures between 2015 and 2019.

Southend saw 432 extra deaths recorded in the 14 months to April 2021 – the highest in south Essex.

A total of 606 of the 2,754 deaths in the borough in that time have been caused by Covid-19, though the ONS has warned deaths links to the virus at the start of the pandemic were mis-diagnosed and the figure is likely to be even higher.

In Basildon, there have been 382 more deaths than the predicted figure of 1,872.

Official figures show 555 residents have died of Covid-19.

In Castle Point, 365 people have died after contracting the virus. The borough has 290 extra deaths since the start of the pandemic.

The ONS data has broken down the figures to show which neighbourhoods in the three boroughs have been worst and least affected by coronavirus.

In Southend, the neighbourhoods with the highest excess death rates were:

1) Blenheim Park

Deaths: 202 - 51 (33.8%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 60

2) Eastwood

Deaths: 161 - 40 (33.1%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 38

3) Southend Central

Deaths 233 - 49 (26.6%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 50

The neighbourhoods with the lowest excess death rates were:

1) Prittlewell

Deaths: 146 - four (2.7%) fewer than expected

Official Covid deaths: 29

2) Leigh

Deaths: 92 deaths - seven (8.2%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 20

3) West Shoebury

Deaths: 158 deaths - 13 (9%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 31

In Basildon, the neighbourhoods with the highest excess death rates were:

1) Langdon Hills

Deaths: 107 - 32 (42.7%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 27

2) Vange and Pitsea

Deaths: 121 - 35 (40.7%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 37

3) Billericay Queen's Park

Deaths: 94 deaths - 27 (40.3%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 26

The neighbourhoods with the lowest excess death rates were:

1) Basildon Central and Pipps Hill

Deaths: 158 - 13 (7.6%) fewer than expected

Official Covid deaths: 34

2) Billericay Tye Common

Deaths 89 - the same number as expected

Official Covid deaths: 30

3) Whitmore Way and Fremnells

Deaths: 88 deaths - one (1.1%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 26

In Castle Point, the neighbourhoods with the highest excess death rates were:

1) Canvey Island North West

Deaths: 148 - 36 (32.1%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 33

2) Benfleet Appleton

Deaths: 91 - 22 (31.9%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 13

3) South Benfleet

Deaths: 176 -39 (28.5%) more deaths than expected

Official Covid deaths: 47

The neighbourhoods with the lowest excess death rates were:

1) Thundersley Glen

Deaths: 131 - 13 (11%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 39 

2) Hadleigh North

Deaths: 82 - nine (12.3%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 14

3) New Thundersley

Deaths: 114 - 14 (14%) more than expected

Official Covid deaths: 16