Health bosses are warning Lincolnshire people to "avoid the temptation to go indoors" over the Easter weekend "because that's where the COVID-19 risk shoots up".

The warning comes as weather forecasters predict a cold weekend, with Monday and Tuesday particularly bitter, with a 5-6 degree maximum in South Kesteven expected on Monday.

The government has issued guidance for people to stay outdoors in open areas with the few people around, as the risk of catching coronavirus is very low in this context.

Professor Derek Ward, director of public health at Lincolnshire County Council, said he is not overly concerned about Easter weekend as long as people stick to the rules, however, his key worry is rain causing households to mix indoors.

He said: "As long as people stick by the rules as we've done in Lincolnshire, I'm not overly concerned.

"My key worry is people with the best will in the world, going round to somebody else's house, and are in the garden keeping their social distance, and then it being England, and a bank holiday, the heavens open, and we get a load of rain and everybody runs indoors and stays indoors.

"That is not allowed. That is a very high risk thing to do and that is something I would advise very strongly the people of Lincolnshire not to do."

Professor Ward urged people if that happens to run to your car, wait for it to stop raining and if it doesn't, "I'm afraid you'll just have to literally take a rain check on that."

He added: "Avoid the temptation to go indoors with other people who aren't in your family group because that's where the risk shoots up."

"What I don't want to see two weeks from the Easter weekend is a spike in our cases.

"We've got one of the biggest counties in the country, use it.

"Go somewhere that you would not normally go especially if where you normally go is where lots of people normally go. That's how you'll stay away from crowds.

"As long as you stick by the rules, the risk of catching COVID is very low."