Wiltshire experienced substantially more deaths than normal during the worst period of the coronavirus crisis, new analysis reveals.

The King's Fund think tank said the coronavirus has exposed the ‘widening health divide’ in the UK after Office for National Statistics figures revealed every part of the country had seen an increase in deaths.

The number of excess deaths in Wiltshire hit a peak in the week ending April 24, with 85 per cent more deaths than the average for the previous five years.

Overall, the area had more deaths than usual in 12 of the 15 weeks between March 6 and June 12.

The figures show Wiltshire had the fourth-highest rate of excess mortality at its peak out of the South West's 12 areas.

Excess death figures are seen as the most accurate way of measuring the effect of the crisis as they are not affected by the different ways countries record Covid-19 deaths.