The first coronavirus deaths in ​over five weeks have been recorded at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay Trust, the latest figures show.

NHS England figures show 173 people had died in hospital at the trust, which runs Furness General Hospital, Westmorland General Hospital and Royal Lancaster Infirmary, as of 5pm on Wednesday (September 23).

That was an increase of two compared to the 171 that had been recorded at the same point on Tuesday, and the first death in 37 days.

Those who died were among 5,003 deaths recorded across the North West, which is the third-worst affected of England's seven NHS regions after London and the midlands.

Of 28 trusts within the region, the Morecambe Bay trust has the 16th-highest death toll.

Daily death counts are revised each day, with each case backdated to the actual date of death.

This means some of the deaths that were first recorded in the latest period may actually have taken place days earlier.

NHS England guidance states: "Confirmation of Covid-19 diagnosis, death notification and reporting in central figures can take up to several days and the hospitals providing the data are under significant operational pressure."

Only deaths that occur in hospitals where the patient has tested positive for Covid-19 are recorded, with deaths in the community excluded, such as those in care homes.