The official death toll for coronavirus is lower than the true number of casualties reported by hospitals, it was claimed on Sunday night.

Channel 4 News reported that an email sent to staff at one of London's biggest hospitals suggested the daily tally, made public by the Government, did not tally with the actual number killed by Covid-19.

The message, sent to staff at King's College Hospital Trust, said: "The number of deaths reported at King's in national figures is below what they are experiencing. It is not just King's but a number of other trusts, and the centre has been made aware."

The message was read out by Channel 4's Simon Israel at the televised Downing Street press conference. According to official figures, the death toll rose by 209 yesterday to 1,228 people.

But Dr Jenny Harries, the deputy chief medical officer, insisted the Government was being transparent and said the cause of death needed to be ascertained before being included in official figures.

"Every death that we have is a really sad event that involves a family and a lot of sadness. We have to make sure that what we are reporting... that the family are content, and that all our data is absolutely accurate," said Dr Harries.