Young people hit out after Lincoln records highest covid rate in England

• Video report by ITV's Katie Oscroft

Young people in Lincoln say they feel they are being unfairly blamed for a spike in Covid cases. 

The city has the highest coronavirus rate in England for the third day running.

According to the latest government data, based on lab-reported or lateral flow positive tests, for the seven days up to July 29 showed Lincoln had recorded a rate of 653.6 per 100,000 of the population.

Public Health Lincolnshire said that the spike had been traced back to the night time economy.

Bar workers Ben and Chris believe the majority of young people are just following the rules. Both say their generation are behaving normally not badly.

Chris Bullett said:"You've got this whole generation and wave of young people who turned 18 in lockdown missed the opportunity to go out for the first time and now all at once it's go crazy."

Ben Manderfield said his friends turned 18 in lockdown and it 'ruined their celebration' but now they can party so that might be the reason why the nightclubs are 'so busy and so bad.'

Whilst Lincoln's daylight attractions are bringing in the post lockdown crowds to mingle freely nightclubs are facing the introduction of entry on condition of vaccination or negative tests as hospitalisations show the young are not immune to getting very ill.

Chris and Ben are amongst just two thirds of people their age who have had their first jab.

Natalie Liddle from Lincolnshire Public Health said they were 'really educating' and 'promoting' awareness about the importance of having the vaccine.

She said:"We are making sure that younger people have the access to the vaccine roll out and then what you will start to see us doing in the next couple of days is really targeted work to improve accessibility and testing as well."

Toby Rovezzano caught Covid just before restrictions were lifted and he was due to reopen his gaming bar.

He said: "It really hit home actually it made me think what it I hadn't had my first jab, would I have been more sick, would I have been in hospital. I wasn't feeling good and I still do not feel good. My energy levels are low but I do still have a business to run and without me and my staff being here we would have to shut and there would be no money coming in. After a tough year it has left me in a predicament, its a small bar with people in close proximity but I have no right to tell people to wear a mask."

This industry relies heavily on younger people on both sides of the bar and though this may be where the virus is spreading the most - with no restrictions and financial support - businesses can ill afford to close.