MP Mel Stride is urging residents in his constituency to take advantage of the free Devon County Council Community Testing Service, offering rapid lateral flow tests to anyone over the age of 16.

A Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) is set up weekly in the following locations in Central Devon, although the MTU will not be in Moretonhampstead on Saturday, September 25.

• Bovey Tracey 9am – 12:30pm Co-op car park, TQ13 9AF

• Okehampton 9am – 12:30pm Waitrose car park, EX20 1WL

• Moretonhampstead 9am – 12:30pm Court Street car park, TQ13 8LG

Free home testing kits can also be picked up from these locations at these times.

Mr Stride, the Central Devon MP, said: ‘This is a great service from Devon County Council, making it even easier for residents in or near these communities to get themselves tested.

‘It is especially useful for anyone who needs assistance administering a test or for anyone showing symptoms.

‘However, with one in three people with Covid-19 having no symptoms, anyone can still swing by to get tested just for their piece of mind, particularly if they are about to socialise with others.’

In the latest weekly data for Devon there were 2877 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 20 deaths in the past seven days with infections trending downwards in all four local authority areas in Central Devon.

Weekly infections are down 28% in Teignbridge, 11% in West Devon, 47% in Mid Devon and 28% in East Devon.