Twitter will ban tweets that deny expert advice or promote misleading claims about coronavirus in an effort to stem the spread of fake news.

The site, which has millions of active users, said content that could place people at a higher risk of contracting Covid-19 would contravene its safety rules.

This could include claims that specific groups are more susceptible to contracting the virus, posting unverified claims that incite people to action and cause widespread panic and posting about harmful or non-harmful treatments which are ineffective.

Even posts made in jest could be up for deletion in order to stop the spread of fake news in the panic.

In a post on its website, Twitter said: "We will enforce this in close coordination with trusted partners, including public health authorities and governments, and continue to use and consult with information from those sources when reviewing content."