Health secretary Matt Hancock reportedly looks set to dash hopes that Grantham and other parts of South Lincolnshire will move into a lower Tier, despite assurance he gave MPs the government would consider such matters on a more localised basis.

When it was announced the whole of Lincolnshire would be treated as a single unit, with the entire county placed in the highest level Tier 3 restrictions, there was uproar in South Kesteven, particularly in Stamford and the Deepings.

Anger was fuelled by South Kesteven being in Tier One before the second lockdown in November and ending up in Tier 3 after it. Nearby Rutland was placed in Tier 2, along with Peterborough.

Stamford businesses, especially, said Tier 3 status would devastate many local businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector, who rely on the run up to Christmas for much of their earnings.

There followed intense lobbying from county MPs including Gareth Davies of Grantham and Stamford and Deepings MP Sir John Hayes.

The MPs and other critics of the government move noted South Kesteven and the Deepings had far lower infection rates than Lincoln, Boston and East Lindsay, arguing South Lincolnshire should consequently be treated differently to the north.

They also noted South Lincolnshire also then had lower weekly infection rates than the national average and lower rates and other areas in Tier 2, such as Peterborough.

The MPs said they had secured an agreement with Mr Hancock for more localised consideration, leading them to vote with the government when the Tier system was re-introduced earlier this month, following England's second national lockdown, as previously reported by Nub News.

However, the Sunday Telegraph today reports Mr Hancock has since written to the MPs arguing that "lived experience" showed that "narrow carve-outs" of lower prevalence areas often leads to them "catching up" or "overtaking" areas close by with high levels of infection.

The health secretary told Mr Davies and Sir John their areas would be looked at "individually" when the tiers are reviewed on Wednesday.

The newspaper quoted the letter as saying: "I understand the force of your arguments on the particulars of South Holland and South Kesteven and I know you made them in the best interests of your constituents, as you always have done.

"I can assure you that we will again assess each area individually, including areas within Lincolnshire such as South Lincolnshire, based on public health advice including from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and the Chief Medical Officer, and taking into account the very challenging Tier 3 measures."

However, in comments that suggest that they and other rural MPs seeking similar treatment look set the be disappointed over localised 'decoupling', Mr Hancock added: "It is important to note that we know from lived experience over recent months, that where narrow carve-outs take place in the face of higher rates in neighbouring areas, time and again these carved out areas simply catch up, and often overtake their neighbouring areas."

Sir John told The Telegraph on Saturday night: "I was pleased and proud to get a binding personal commitment from Matt Hancock that he would look within counties on their merits based on the evidence. I am confident that he will honour those words."

The latest figures show South Kesteven now has a rate of 184.7 cases per 100,000, which though higher than two weeks ago, is lower than earlier in the week.

The Lincolnshire average is now 251.8 cases per 100,000 and England is on 160.9.

The Daily Telegraph report, which can be read in full here, also noted London may continue to be treated as a single entity, with fears it would move into Tier 3, despite widely varying rates from east and north London, compared to its west, where infection rates are far lower.

Heath experts have argued there is much social and economic interaction between the various parts of London, and likewise within the various parts of Lincolnshire.

But Sir John and Mr Davies also argued there was little interaction between, for example, Stamford and the Deepings and say Boston and Skegness.