Coronavirus: Households banned from meeting in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn

Different households will be unable to meet in Oldham, Pendle and Blackburn anywhere - inside or outside

Stricter lockdown rules are coming into force in Oldham and parts of Pendle and Blackburn in northern England.

From Saturday 22 August it will mean that people living in these areas will not be allowed to socialise with anyone they don't live with.

Any social activities - indoors and outdoors - can only be shared with people in the same household.

In Oldham, the leader of the council, Cllr Sean Fielding, said public transport would be deemed for "absolutely essential use only" and the number of people allowed to attend weddings and funerals would be reduced in the town.

But the areas aren't going into a local lockdown like the one seen in Leicester.

Shops and many places of work will remain open, as will places that look after children, including schools, which will open again in September as planned.

The government has announced the extra restrictions following a rise in the number of coronavirus cases.

Since July, the government has been introducing extra restrictions in different areas where cases have increased.

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock says: "To prevent a second peak and keep Covid-19 under control, we need robust, targeted intervention where we see a spike in cases."

Meanwhile tougher lockdown rules in Wigan, Darwen and Rossendale are being relaxed from next week.

Groups of people from two households can now once again meet in a home, private garden or at a restaurant - regardless of whether they are in a support bubble.

It means those areas have now been released from the stricter restrictions still in place for the rest of Greater Manchester and parts of east Lancashire.