Coronation Street set tours have been postponed as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.

ITV said halting visits to its Trafford Wharf Road studios was a precautionary measure and 'responsible course of action' in light of the spread of Covid-19.

Bosses said: "As a precautionary measure, and in line with our established contingency plans across the business, we will temporarily be closing our set tours to ensure the safety and welfare of all our staff, production teams and guests."

Visitors with bookings will be offered the chance to re-book as soon as the tours re-open.

Refunds will be offered in full to those who do not wish to book an alternative date.

It has not yet been confirmed when the tours will reopen.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

The news comes after plans were revealed earlier today for a new visitor centre to be built at the production lot , which is near to the Imperial War Museum and the attractions of Salford Quays.

The three-storey Coronation Street Experience building will include a gift shop accessed through a replica Rovers Return frontage, a cafe bar and an exhibition space, as well as conference facilities.

The tours are the latest event to be hit by the coronavirus outbreak, with literature festival Words Weekend also calling off its event at The Lowry .

Symptoms and how to protect against coronavirus The novel coronavirus - which is also known as COVID-19 - is a flu-like virus which has now spread to every continent but Antarctica. The most common symptoms include: a fever

fatigue

cough or chest tightness

difficulty breathing Generally, the coronavirus is more likely to cause severe symptoms in people with weakened immune systems, older people, and those with long-term conditions like diabetes, cancer and chronic lung disease. The latest advice is to wash your hands more often, particularly when: you get to work or arrive home

after you blow your nose, cough or sneeze

before you eat or handle food You should wash your hands for 20 seconds - the length of singing 'Happy Birthday' to yourself twice - with soap and water or hand sanitiser. For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus, including when to call 111 and advice for returning travellers, see the Government's guidelines.

The cancellation came as the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK rose to 456 today , including 23 in Greater Manchester.

The festival had been due to feature talks from authors and famous figures including Sir Bob Geldof, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, Katie Piper, Adam Kay, David Nicholls and Helen Fielding.

Organisers said 'the health of authors and audiences must be the priority'.

The UK government has not ordered the cancellation of events or public gatherings but several events have already been called off across the country.

Manchester's St Patrick's Day parade is still set to go ahead on Sunday, organisers confirmed earlier this week after Dublin's celebrations were cancelled.

Manchester Irish Festival organisers say they will closely monitor the situation until then.