A HOLIDAYMAKER returning home from Spain who went on a pub crawl may have caused the spike in coronavirus cases in Bolton, an MP has claimed. 

The borough now has the highest rate of covid-19 infections in the country.

Bolton West MP Chris Green revealed he had been told that one of the reasons behind the spike may have been caused by a holidaymaker who had the infection and did not self-isolate.

Speaking on TalkRADIO, Mr Green said: “The only suggestion I’ve heard so far to what’s happened in Bolton is that someone who had been on holiday in Spain, came back, didn’t go into quarantine.

“He had coronavirus, went on a pub crawl. That’s so far the only explanation of a contributory factor in Bolton.

“But I’m not sure that’s the whole story.

“I think there’s far more than that and the source of these figures in Bolton needs to be found as soon as possible.”

The Bolton News understands that this is a theory council officials are looking at as part of the reason for the sudden spike — and one source said, if this was the case, it highlighted the importance of self-isolating after travelling.

Mr Green ­— who earlier this week said part of Bolton could be subject to different coronavirus restriction ­— told the show it was the right decision that people in his constituency are subject to restrictions.

He said: “The data shows the rate of transmission has rocketed up, we are not quite sure at the moment why it has rocketed up but it has, I think people want the pragmatic decision to say the facts have changed and the data shows we should remain in lockdown, that’s the right decision.

“There are concerns about the communications of it and the presentation of data to support that to back up the decision, but actually the decision itself is right."

Infections between different households appear to be the main cause of the spike in coronavirus cases in Bolton. And people aged 18-49 represent the ‘overwhelming majority’ of new cases, which are spread across the borough, say Bolton health chiefs.