A CORONAVIRUS test centre has been set up at a prominent site in Haltwhistle - but the local county councillor has raised serious concerns about the safety of townspeople.

Coun. Ian Hutchinson, who represents Haltwhistle, claimed neither he nor Northumberland County Council were aware of the test centre, at Hadrian Enterprise Park, until it was set up.

Now, a lack of signage has seen people looking to get tested driving into Haltwhistle and asking residents for directions.

Coun. Hutchinson said: "Nobody knew anything about it. I want an apology.

"I got to hear about it because a resident rang up and complained about the lack of signage, the reason being people were stopping and asking where the test centre was.

"I've been told one resident was stopped by someone in a car who was coughing their guts up.

"To bring it to Haltwhistle, which is to the best of my knowledge free of coronavirus, it beggars belief.

"It's like the left hand not telling the right hand what to do - we're supposed to be fighting this together. I just hope to God nobody has got the virus from this."

Hadrian Enterprise Park owners MCR Property Group said they offered the site for use as a test centre following an approach by the army.

It will test key workers in Northumberland and Cumbria.

Charles Denby, assets manager at MCR Property Group, said: “The nation is coming together to do what it can to support everyone through this pandemic.

"Our frontline workers risk their lives daily and as a company we wanted to offer whatever assistance we could."

The site was identified given its location on a main arterial route and easily accessible to many people just off the A69 bypass.

Public Health England and Northumberland County Council were contacted for comment on the issue.

Public Health England said they were unable to comment on individual test sites, while the county council are working on a response.