BORIS Johnson has praised Blackburn with Darwen Council for its new measures to combat a local spike in coronavirus cases.

He used Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons to highlight the borough’s prompt action in response to the rise as an example for other local authorities to follow.

Mr Johnson then rang council leader Cllr Mohammed Khan to personally applaud new advice to residents as ‘a wonderful job’.

His intervention follows health secretary Matt Hancock praising the borough for issuing new guidelines to residents after Covid-19 infections rose week on week from 29.5 per 100,000 to 41.

The Prime Minister was tackled on future support for areas hit by coronavirus increases at Westminster’s Wednesday Question Time by Bristol Labour MP Darren Jones.

Mr Johnson said: “The best thing possible is for areas all to work hard, as Blackburn with Darwen have done, for instance, to get the virus down and to make sure they are able to open up again.”

Cllr Khan said: “The Prime Minister rang me for seven to eight minutes to ask how things were going in Blackburn with Darwen and what we were doing about the virus.

“He asked what our any problems were and whether we were getting the information we need from central government.

“The Prime Minister wanted to know about the measures we are taking to get Covid-19 down in Blackburn and if there were any problems he could help with.

“He asked if we were looking at a lockdown and I said ‘no’ but we were looking a further measures if necessary and we were doing our best to avoid this.

“Mr Johnson said what we were doing was great and that we were doing a wonderful job.”