Travis Perkins warehouse in Northampton hit by suspected Covid outbreak - leaving a reported 47 people in isolation

Our source, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "The exact number, as of Thursday (January 21), I've just been informed was 47. They were a mix of either having it or isolating."

The warehouse in Brackmills, which has 270 staff members, said it received an alert on Friday (January 22) from the Test and Trace service about colleagues who have been affected by the virus.

A Travis Perkins spokesperson, who has so far not confirmed the number of people affected, said: "Following NHS Test and Trace service alerts last Friday, we can confirm that a number of our colleagues are currently self-isolating at home as a preventative measure, or as a result of positive tests.

"The health and safety of our colleagues remains our number one priority. In line with Government and Public Health England guidelines, we have stringent social distancing and hygiene measures in place across our business to ensure we can continue to service our customers during this time.

"We have reasons to believe that transmissions took place outside of the Brackmills distribution centre."

The spokesperson said the site has been deep cleaned and that Travis Perkins continues to work with colleagues to ensure they follow the guidelines inside and outside of work to protect themselves and the wider community.

Public Health Northamptonshire confirmed an outbreak is defined by the Government as more than two cases linked by time and place within the last 28 days.