One of Halton’s smallest neighbourhoods has recorded the borough’s highest COVID-19 death toll, official figures have revealed.

The numbers, released by the Office for National Statistics, show Halton Lea and Brookvale suffered nine coronavirus deaths between March 1 and April 17 – one of the highest death tolls in the city region.

The neighbourhood covers the Palacefields area and the western half of Brookvale itself.

As one of Halton’s least-populated areas, the death toll of nine translates to a mortality rate of 124.8 per 100,000 residents – three times the borough’s overall mortality rate for the same period.

In total, Halton suffered 52 coronavirus deaths up until April 17, when the death toll reached its peak across the Liverpool City Region.

Runcorn recorded 25 deaths and Widnes recorded 27.

After Halton Lea and Brookvale, the neighbourhoods with the highest number of deaths were Upton Rocks, with seven, and Hale Bank and Ditton, which both recorded six.

In the month following the mid-April peak, Halton recorded just 39 new deaths meaning it is the only borough in the city region with less than 100 coronavirus deaths so far.

The five parts of the borough with the highest death tolls by mid-April were: Halton Lea and Brookvale – 9 deaths

Upton Rocks – 7 deaths

Hale Bank – 6 deaths

Ditton – 6 deaths

Runcorn Town and Westfield – 4 deaths