The North East of England looks set to be spared the harshest tier three lockdown restrictions, after one council leader in the region saying anyone suggesting otherwise will be told to ‘sod off’.

As well as talking with leaders in Manchester about tightening measures there, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said discussions were also planned this week with South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, the North East and Teesside.

Hartlepool Borough Council leader Shane Moore said no talks had taken place since Friday, when the Tees Valley and the North East were given a reprieve from the toughest measures. He tweeted on Monday evening: ‘Apparently it was announced in the House of Commons earlier that there were talks happening in relation to #Hartlepool & wider #TeesValley going into Tier 3. This is untrue.

‘No talks with us since update on Friday & if anyone suggests it to me this week they’ll be told to sod off.’

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Asked if Hartlepool will be placed in tier three next week, Mr Moore replied on Twitter: ‘Not unless I am presented with clear evidence that the current restrictions are not working and that serious hospital admissions are causing strain on local health services.’

Ben Houchen, the Tory elected mayor for Tees Valley, said he had received a reassurance there were no plans to put them in tier three.

He tweeted: ‘After today’s statement, I spoke to Matt Hancock’s team and I was pleased that they confirmed what local leaders were told on Friday – that there are NO imminent plans to move our area to tier 3.’

The latest figures show that case rates have fallen over the past week in five out of seven North East councils.

Newcastle’s new infections dropped from 545 per 100,000 in the week to October 8 to 348 in the seven days to October 15.

In the same period, Gateshead’s cases fell from 275 to 237, Northumberland’s from 195 to 171, North Tyneside’s from 288 to 208 and South Tyneside’s from 276 to 229.

Mr Hancock said yesterday that there are ‘early signs’ that cases are ‘starting to flatten’ but cautioned: ‘In the first instance that is happening among younger people, and I’m still worried about the number of cases of over-60s, who are the people most likely to end up in hospital or worse.

‘So we will keep a very close eye on the situation, but we have no imminent plans to make a change.’

He said the Government would seek the support of the area should changes be required.

Gateshead Council leader Martin Gannon said the Government should listen to local politicians more about tier three restrictions.

He said even taking into account the large number of students who have tested positive for coronavirus, ‘the underlying numbers are coming under control in the North East’.

Mr Gannon added: ‘Matt Hancock and his colleagues need to stop dictating to us and start listening to our strategy and to concede that they need to work with us not against us.’

He did not know when the next round of talks was planned, and said previous meetings had been cancelled at short notice.

The North of Tyne elected mayor said coronavirus cases had plateaued or were falling since leaders successfully argued for the North East to have a reprieve from tier three restrictions.

Jamie Driscoll said: ‘We are expecting to meet with Government ministers and officials later this week, but nothing is in the diary and we have had no contact since Friday.

‘Last week we talked through their data, and our data, epidemiology, NHS capacity, and public health interventions.

‘They accepted there was no case for moving into tier three. The latest evidence is that across our region, case rates have plateaued or are falling.

‘I want to say a thank you to the public for following the law and the guidelines and staying safe.’

On Tuesday evening, West Yorkshire council leaders said the area would maintain its tier two status after local and national health experts agreed there was no case to impose increased restrictions this week.

In South Yorkshire, talks about the coronavirus alert level were continuing.

A spokesman for the Sheffield City Region said: ‘Mayor Dan Jarvis, the leaders of South Yorkshire’s local authorities and the Government have been in extensive and constructive talks over the coronavirus alert level for the region.

‘These talks continue as all sides seek to agree a plan which will protect lives, jobs and our NHS.’

Mr Jarvis tweeted on Monday night that he was ready to work with the Government but it had not yet offered enough support.

Earlier, Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, tweeted: ‘Meeting with Gov today and this week, I’ve been fighting off Doncaster going into Tier 3, but it may only be a matter of time.

‘If we go into Tier 3, then our residents and businesses will need urgent support. I will continue to push for Doncaster to be treated separate from other areas.’

Speaking in a YouTube video on Monday, Greg Fell, director of public health at Sheffield City Council, said: ‘It’s likely that there will be more restrictions put on South Yorkshire at some point in the future. It’s difficult to call when that might be.

‘We’re currently in the high risk category, we may move to the very high risk category.’

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