The borough council has been forced to change how it operates during the Coronavirus pandemic.

In an attempt to fight the spread of the virus and abide by new government regulations, Copeland Borough Council has changed how it operates.

During the outbreak, all offices are closed to the public, the customer services team is currently unavailable and teams such as housing, council tax, business rates and benefits are unavailable by phone.

Garden waste collections have been suspended for the time being but those who paid for a second collection will be refunded.

But the council still aim to provide support to the public. In their statement on Facebook they said: "A wealth of information can be found on our website and through our social media channels.

"You can contact departments directly via the list of email addresses on our Coronavirus public information webpage, for urgent matters only."

A 24 hour emergency service for homelessness and victims of domestic abuse is still available via email at: housing.options@copeland.gov.uk or by calling 01946 598300 and pressing option four and then one.

Copeland council are experiencing telephone issues due to increased traffic so the best way to get in touch is via email.

A list of closures and cancellations includes the Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, all Copeland owned play parks, leisure centres and markets.

The by-election for Whitehaven Central ward has been postponed.

Information and a list of departmental emails is available on the Copeland Borough Council website.