Coronavirus claimed the life of one person in Southampton on the same day as an alleged Downing Street Christmas party, with even more killed in the same week.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims staff broke lockdown rules by holding a party at Number 10 on December 18 last year.

Figures from the UK coronavirus daily dashboard show several people were killed by Covid-19 in the same week as the alleged party, with two deaths occurring locally on the same date last year.

These occurred in Southampton and Eastleigh.

The data also showed that between December 12 and 18 last year, there were five deaths in the Test Valley, and one in the New Forest.

No deaths were recorded in Winchester.

However, 300 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospitals across the South East on December 18 – among over 1,600 throughout England.

The Prime Minister’s intervention followed a week of official insistence that no party took place when London was under Tier 3 restrictions – despite reports staff drank alcohol and exchanged Secret Santa gifts.

The video from No 10’s press briefing room, which is reported to be from December 22 last year, refers to a party on “Friday” – the same day The Daily Mirror reported there was a staff party where games were played, food and drinks were served, and revelries went on past midnight.

At this time, coronavirus restrictions were being reintroduced across many parts of the UK ahead of Christmas amid fears over the emergence of the 'Delta' variant.

Mr Johnson agreed that any evidence uncovered about parties in Downing Street would be handed over to police.

Statistics published by the National Police Chiefs' Council reveal a total of 161 fixed penalty notices were issued by Hampshire Police for breaches of Covid-19-related laws between November 17 and December 20 last year.

And by December 22 – the day the leaked video was apparently filmed – separate figures from the Department of Health and Social Care reveal that more than a quarter of care homes in England were no longer permitting residents to receive visitors as Covid-19 infection levels rose across the country.