A London hospital trust has become the first to admit it is turning away coronavirus patients, as NHS chiefs warned services in the capital are on the brink of being overwhelmed.

Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust said it has transferred Covid-19 patients to neighbouring hospitals, as demand for lifesaving treatment surges.

A senior clinician at the trust revealed that at one stage on Tuesday only one patient had been admitted to intensive care out of an eligible group of five, although the trust insists all who have required ventilation have so far received it.

It came as the death toll from the disease rose most sharply in London, with 16 of the total 29 new fatalities in England coming from the capital.

There were three deaths at Lewisham and Greenwich, more than nearby larger trusts.