Essential services such as rubbish collection and housing carry on as usual.

That's the message from the leader of Dover District Council as the coronavirus crisis continues its stranglehold.

Council offices will remain open but, says Cllr Trevor Bartlett, people should still avoid visiting them.

He said in a statement:" These are unsettling times, but I want to reassure you that we are doing everything to maintain the delivery of services that you rely on.

"We have well-rehearsed contingency plans and moved quickly to make sure that our frontline services, such as waste and recycling collections, street cleaning, and housing continue as usual.

"Our offices remain open at this time, although we’re not encouraging people to visit in person to help with the current guidelines on social distancing."

He stressed that most council services could still be accessed online via the website dover.gov.uk

People could still ring the council on 01304 821199 but Cllr Bartlett warned lines could be busier than usual.

Most back office staff are now working from home and, the council says, there are measures to protect front line staff and contractors.

Cllr Bartlett said: "Please respect the social distancing guidelines should you need to interact with our staff whilst they are working."

He concluded: "There may be challenging days ahead, and we will continue to focus all our efforts in helping you through this period.

"We all need to do our bit, and I am already impressed with the sense of community spirit that is coming to the fore."

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