Public Health England (PHE) is urging people to follow coronavirus guidelines following a “rising tide of cases” in London.

Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for PHE, said the cases are across a “broad range” of ages and is no longer limited to young people in their twenties.

In a statement, he said: “We are seeing a rising tide of coronavirus cases in London across a broad range of ages.

“Whilst the number of cases by borough varies, the general trend across the city is one of steadily increasing transmission and if that continues then the situation may escalate. It is more important than ever that we remain vigilant to control the virus so we must not be complacent at this critical time.”

Prof Fenton urged people to “pull together and help reverse this upward trend” by following Covid-19 guidelines.

He said: “The best advice remains to adhere to the rule of six and to continue following government guidelines around social distancing, face coverings and hand washing.

“There is also now very high demand for coronavirus tests and it is vital we test people with symptoms to help stop the spread of the virus. You can do your bit by only booking a test if you have clear coronavirus symptoms.”