A Basingstoke and Deane councillor who contracted coronavirus just before the lockdown was put in place is still recovering.

Labour councillor for Winklebury ward, Ruth Cooper, took to Facebook yesterday for the first time since late March to apologise to anyone who had tried to contact her in that three month period.

She wrote: "Unfortunately I will not be available until July as I am recovering still from the effects of being hospitalised with Covid, please contact Cllr Angie Freeman or Cllr Andy McCormick.

"Thank you I will let you know when I’m back up and running."

Speaking to the Gazette about this, Basingstoke Labour group leader, Cllr Andrew McCormick, said that Cllr Cooper came down with the virus around March 11, nearly a week before the national lockdown was put in place.

"She's been very ill and we were very worried about her," he said.

"She has been in and out of hospital these past few months and it will be a long road to recovery."

He added that while Cllr Cooper was never admitted to the ICU, she does have an underlying kidney condition.

"Ruth is overall quite a healthy person," he continued.

"She's under 50 years old, which in councillor terms is quite young. She does have a kidney condition which was recent and obviously compounded with the Covid.

"The more scientific journals I read about the illness, the more I see how much damage it can do; it can do damage worse than most could imagine.

"All in Labour group wish her the very best in the long fight to recovery and we will offer all the support we can."

Cllr McCormick also revealed that two other unnamed Labour councillors suspect they too contracted coronavirus just before lockdown.

"They didn’t go to hospital and tests weren’t widely available so they did not get one, but they had many of the symptoms like headaches, loss of taste and smell and of course breathing difficulty," he said.

"The virus definitely isn't something to underestimate."

At the moment it is unclear when Cllr Cooper may return to her full duties as councillor, but Cllr McCormick said they are "giving her as much time as she needs."