THE Indian variant of coronavirus has been found in Test Valley, new data confirms.

Data from the Wellcome Sanger Institute – based on recent surge testing – shows how rapidly the Indian variant has spread across England.

Test Valley recorded a weekly average of 1.5 sequences of the Indian variant in the weeks ending May 1 and May 8.

The new variant has not impacted the borough's infection rate which remains low at around seven cases per 100,000- well below the UK average.

The variant has also been detected in small numbers in Southampton, Rushmore and Hart.

Coronavirus cases in general have increased across Hampshire in the seven days to May 13 with 170 cases confirmed.

This is a 25 per cent increase on the previous week but the average rolling rate still remains below the UK average.

England has seen a 44 per cent weekly increase in the number of areas that have recorded at least one case of the Indian variant.

The highly transmissible B1617.2 variant was detected in 127 areas in the seven days to May 8, compared with 71 areas in the seven-day period prior.

Cases have doubled in some parts of the country over the last week, but most areas have recorded under five cases and 40 of the 127 areas have detected just one case.

The recent rise has raised concerns about the next stage of the road map out of lockdown set to take place on June 21.  

Cabinet minister George Eustice still wants the June 21 measures, which would see most remaining restrictions scrapped, to go ahead but said: “We can never rule out that there may have to be a delay.”

Asked whether it was possible for parts of the country to enjoy new freedoms on June 21 while others are kept under restrictions, Mr Eustice said: “That would be an option and we cannot rule anything out, obviously, at this stage.”

But he told Sky News the “preferred outcome” would be to drive up vaccination rates in areas where there have been outbreaks.