A coronavirus testing site will begin operating in a town's car park from tomorrow.

The walk-through coronavirus testing site in Tanner Street car park, in Thetford, will open on Tuesday morning, and will be available only to those with coronavirus symptoms after booking a test online.

A temporary testing building has been constructed on site. The car park is expected to be closed for up to six months.

The car park was offered by Breckland Council for the use of the Department of Health and Social Care, which will be running the testing site in partnership with G4S, offering self-administered tests.

Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “To respond to the coronavirus, we have built a major testing and tracing system from scratch. We are constantly working to expand and improve it with new technologies and innovations so everyone with symptoms can get a test.

“New walk-in sites like this one makes it even easier to get a test no matter where you live. If you have symptoms of coronavirus, I urge you to book a test today and follow the advice of NHS Test and Trace if you are contacted to protect others and stop the spread of the virus.”

Appointments will be made available each day.

Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.

Baroness Dido Harding, interim executive chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “Walk through sites offer communities better access to coronavirus testing, so everyone with symptoms can get a test.

"This new site is part of our ongoing work to expand our testing network across the UK which now has the capacity to process more than 500,000 tests a day.

"We will continue to expand capacity to improve test turnaround times and push forward testing innovations to make sure anyone who needs a test can get one."

Anyone experience one or more symptoms of a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.