A fake Twitter account has been set up in a council's name and has been spreading false rumours about the closure of pubs in an East Lancashire town.

The account, which is using the handle @BoroughBwD looks to have been created on Saturday, and has been tweeting incorrect information about Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council and their response to the coronavirus crisis.

Lancashire Telegraph:

One tweet that has already been shared on Facebook and Twitter several hundred times read: "From Wednesday 15th July pubs/ bars in Blackburn with Darwen will be closing there doors again just after a week of re-opening. This is due to the rise of coronavirus cases in are borough. Keep and eye out on our other page on facebook as we will be announcing it Tuesday."

A further Tweet read: "Do you think Boris should bother more about the north instead of just bothering about the south? Do u agree he should put BWD on lockdown due to cases rising? Please vote :)"

A spokesperson for Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said: "This is fake news. 

"Do not believe the information being tweeted from this account.

"We will be announcing this on the official Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council account and will also report the matter to Twitter.

"Please don't follow this account."

Lancashire Telegraph: The fake Blackburn with Darwen account which has been created on TwitterThe fake Blackburn with Darwen account which has been created on Twitter

Regeneration boss at the council, Cllr Phil Riley said: "The pubs are not going to be closed from Wednesday.

"And even if they were it wouldn't be announced like that anyway.

"It would be done by the Secretary of State or someone from the Government.

"There's a lot of interest in Blackburn with Darwen at the moment and its place in the league table so it's completely predicatable that people who are trying to be unhelpful will take to social media.

"People need to follow the real stories that will come from the Secretary of State, Public Health England, or from the Council's website."

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council's official Twitter account has a blue tick, and has the handle @blackburndarwen.