CITY of Chester MP Chris Matheson has urged Health Secretary Matt Hancock to provide urgent financial support to the city as coronavirus restrictions in neighbouring counties are taking their toll on businesses.

Mr Matheson said while areas such as Flintshire, Wrexham and the Liverpool City Region were in stricter coronavirus restricted areas, they were receiving financial support.

But Cheshire west – in a Tier 2 area – was not receiving that Government support, despite feeling the pinch via a huge drop in visitors to the area.

Figures on Cheshire West and Chester Council's Covid-19 dashboard show footfall in Chester city centre has fallen by more than a quarter from late September to mid-October, as a direct result of Flintshire and Wrexham's lockdown measures preventing people travelling to Chester to shop or enjoy any kind of hospitality at hotels, pubs, bars or restaurants.

It is estimated that there are 100,000 fewer visitors to the city centre per week than there were a month ago.

Numbers are now about 40 per cent down on the number of visitors to Chester city centre in October 2018 or 2019.

Speaking via video link to the House of Commons via a video link, Mr Matheson – who is self-isolating having tested positive for coronavirus last week – called on Mr Hancock for the Government to show support.

He said: "The specific geography of Chester means that many of our businesses, which were viable until a couple of weeks ago, are now being damaged by, on the one side, restrictions from the Welsh border and the lockdown there, and the other side by Tier 3 in Merseyside.

"Chester is being crushed by both sides. Both of these areas have been getting heavily supported financially whereas that support is not available for businesses in the middle of Chester.

"Will the Minister consider these effects and will he provide financial support so that we don't get crushed between these lockdowns?"

Mr Hancock responded: "I understand the point the honourable gentleman is making.

"I know Chester well – in fact, it has more pubs per head of population than any other city in the UK. Therefore the hospitality industry is incredibly important.

"We are giving as much support as we can but we always keep these things under review, and I look forward to working with my honourable friend to support the people of Chester."