CHIPPENHAM MP Michelle Donelan says it's time to move on from the Dominic Cummings debacle and refocus efforts on fighting the Covid-19 coronavirus.

She issued a statement on Friday urging constituents to pull together as a community and help those in urgent need.

The MP said: "Durham Constabulary now consider the matter to be closed and I agree that we need to refocus ourselves on fighting this virus together as a community.

"My team and I are working round the clock to help people locally with a huge range of issues, from getting vulnerable people food and medicine, to helping local businesses access the financial support they need to stay afloat.

"I want to re-emphasise for those less concerned with this story that my priority is to continue helping those in urgent need in any way I can."

Miss Donelan said she had been "inundated" with more than 1,300 emails about Mr Cummings alleged breach of the lockdown in making trips from London to Durham and to Barnard Castle.

She said: "Since then, I have been inundated with emails from people with entirely understandable concerns, many of which I share myself.

"In my view, both Mr Cummings' decision making at the time of the incident and in the days following it could have been better and indeed could have been made clearer to the public."

Miss Donelan praised Wiltshire's response to the Covid-19 emergency as "extraordinary" both in terms of the community spirit being showed and the results being experienced, with fewer infections than in most other parts of the country.

"In my view, a significant factor in this achievement has been our steadfast compliance with the lockdown rules, which has required enormous sacrifices and heart-breaking decisions about seeing loved ones."

Many of her constituents agreed with her, saying it was time to "move on" and focus attention on other important issues.

Matt Edwards said: "People wasting your time when you have more important issues to deal with," while Colin Sutton added: "Wish people would be equally outraged by the hundreds squeezing onto beaches instead of the witch hunt against one man."

Some who responded to her statement felt the MP was "toeing" the party line.