Live music events and football could be partially responsible for a summer wave of Covid-19 infections across Leicestershire.

New variants, including FLiRT and LB.1, are behind a recent spike in cases across the UK, the Reach Data Unit said.

Figures from last month show a small decrease in North West Leicestershire last month.

In Leicester and Leicestershire, rates remain low at the moment compared to other parts of the country.

However, two parts of the county saw a huge spike in infections in the week ending Sunday, June 30, compared to the previous seven days, data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows. Melton borough saw the biggest jump in its infection rate from one week to the next and had the highest rate of all local areas. The borough saw a hike of 150 per cent from 3.86 people per 100,000 in the week to Sunday, June 23, to 9.66 per 100,000 in the seven days to June 30.

The rate also rocketed in Charnwood borough, increasing by 140 per cent, from 2.73 people per 100,000 to 6.56 people per 100,000. Meanwhile, Blaby district has the second highest rate locally with 7.75 infections per 100,000 people in the seven days to June 30, a 60 per cent increase on the 4.84 per 100,000 of the previous week.

Oadby and Wigston borough also saw a large jump in its rates, increasing by 100 per cent from 3.46 per 100,000 to 6.93 per 100,000. Rates in Harborough District also doubled – from 2.03 per 100,000 to 4.07 per 100,000.

However, rates are also dropping in some areas of Leicestershire. In Hinckley and Bosworth borough, rates plummeted by 73 per cent from 9.68 per 100,000 as of June 23 to 2.64 per 100,000 in the latest data.

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Meanwhile, Leicester and North West Leicestershire - including Coalville and Ashby - saw smaller decreases in rates. The former saw a drop of 35 per cent – from 5.46 per 100,000 to 3.55 per 100,000 – while the latter dropped by 33 per cent from 5.71 per 100,000 to 3.81 per 100,000.

More people are reporting the cold-like symptoms associated with the virus and there are concerns the new variants might be able to "evade immunity", meaning even those who have had the vaccine can get ill. Experts also fear summer events like festivals and the Euros might provide a breeding ground for the new strains as large groups of people come together.

Dr Mariyam Malik, an NHS and private GP at Pall Mall Medical, said coronavirus can spread rapidly over the summer months. She said: "Increased travel and big events such as festivals often result in crowded settings where the virus can spread more easily, and there are no longer any legal restrictions like wearing masks and social distancing."

Comparatively, some areas of the country saw infection rates as high as 32.75 people per 100,000 in Copeland, and 30.09 per 100,000 in Allerdale, both located in Cumbria. With fewer people now testing, the spread of the disease could actually be greater than reported.