SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies says he is ‘extremely angry’ his constituency has been included in the district’s lockdown ‘because of problems largely in central Bradford’.

People from different households Bradford will be banned from meeting each other indoors from midnight, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.

Mr Hancock said "households gathering and not abiding by the social distancing rules" was a reason for the stricter rules and it was in order to "keep the country safe".

Mr Davies added he has made his displeasure clear to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Mr Hancock.

Mr Davies said: "I am extremely angry and frustrated that the whole of the Shipley constituency is included in the local lockdown because of problems which are largely in central Bradford.

"I have made clear my unhappiness about this to everyone from the Prime Minister downwards, including the Secretary of State for Health.

“The Government told me that Bradford Council had asked for the whole District to be included equally in the local lockdown and that the local authority has some statuary responsibilities to public health.

"It is clear to me that if we were not within the boundaries of Bradford Council the whole of the Shipley constituency would not be included in the local lockdown (Leeds Council isn't).

“This is yet another reason why we need to separate our area from Bradford Council, which is something I have been campaigning for over a long period of time.

"As a result of my representations the Government have agreed to review the restrictions in one week rather than the usual two weeks.

“I have urged the Minister to treat separate parts of the District differently depending on very local infection rates - irrespective of the views of Bradford Council."

Mr Davies’s words came after Bradford Council leader Susan Hinchcliffe has urged people to "stick together" to beat Covid-19.

Her plea comes after restrictions were announced last night by Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

She said the issue is now being used as a "political football".

She added: "Some people, including some politicians, are using the new regulations as a political football.

"Politicians who do this are wrong and irresponsible. We are interconnected as a place, we don’t live our lives neatly inside ward or constituency boundaries, neither should we.”