As many as one in six adults in Bolton still have not had their first Covid-19 jab a year after being offered the chance.

NHS England figures show 204,580 people aged 18 and over in the borough have had at least one vaccination, around 83.1 per cent of the population.

This means that as of June 5 this year around 16.9 per cent of people in Bolton are still unvaccinated.

Psychology lecturer Dr Simon Williams, who has been studying people’s attitudes to the pandemic, said: "Vaccines are the tools to continue to reduce the harm that Covid inflicts on people, including death and hospitalisations, but also reducing future rates of long Covid which currently affects 1.2 million people and the long terms impacts we still don't fully understand.

"We also need to better engage with some communities to understand what economic, social and cultural factors might be explaining why uptake is so low."

Bolton’s rate is lower than England generally where 93.3 per cent of adults have received a first jab by June 5.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Vaccines remain the best way we can protect ourselves from the virus and it's not too late for people to come forward and get their jab."