A CORONAVIRUS test centre has been set up in Hexham.

The mobile site has been set up by the armed forces in the Wentworth Leisure Centre car park.

It’s the second site of its kind to be set up in the Tyne Valley, after one at Hadrian Enterprise Park in Haltwhistle.

Key workers who are self-isolating and unable to leave their homes due to symptoms of the virus can apply for a test for themselves and their household via the Government’s website.

Non-essential workers cannot apply for a test.

Coun. Trevor Cessford, who represents Hexham Central and Acomb, said he believed the site’s position was a good one.

He said: “Wentworth Car Park is as good a place as any. You can drive straight in and you don’t have to worry about little back streets or anything.

“When I walked past on Wednesday, there was a couple of vans and some army personnel, but I couldn’t see anybody being tested.

“Wentworth is one of the best sites to put it in Hexham, if it’s got to be there. The pop-up sites are there to be as local to people as possible.”

The sites are set up by the Department of Health and Social Care along with the Army.

The DoHSC was not commenting on individual sites, but a spokesman for the department said: “In addition to setting up a nationwide network of drive in testing sites, we have also introduced home testing kit delivery and deployed mobile testing units operated by the armed forces.”