Council Leader's message to residents following Government announcement that Hartlepool will stay in Tier 3

"I know that people in Hartlepool – especially businesses - will be very disappointed and frustrated by the Government’s decision that Hartlepool is to stay in Tier 3.

"I share that frustration. Thanks to all your efforts, we have made a real impact on driving down Covid levels in the borough. However, we’re clearly not out of the woods yet, and it would be awful if we jeopardised the progress we are making, especially with the national vaccine rollout now starting to gather momentum.

"Together as a community you have done a magnificent job of helping each other through a very tough and difficult year. We can now look forward with much confidence to a better year next year, but in the meantime we still can’t afford to drop our guard.

"We are nearly there and you are all doing an amazing job – please keep following the social distancing, hand washing and face mask rules and above all, please enjoy Christmas responsibly, taking special care to avoid any undue risks to yourself or your family.

"Thank you once again."