THE temporary morgue on the site of Salisbury District Hospital will "remain on standby", Wiltshire Council has confirmed.

The facility, which can store up to 500 bodies, was built back in March to provide additional capacity throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

However, neither the morgue in Salisbury nor the one at Swindon's Great Western Hospital have so far been used.

Wiltshire Council, which manages both facilities, says the temporary morgues will continue to "remain on standby", in case they are needed in the future.

CEOs Alistair Cunningham and Terence Herbert said: “As part of the national response to COVID-19, the storage facilities sited at Salisbury District Hospital and Great Western Hospitals Trust, Swindon, are completed and on standby, ready to be used as regional facilities should the need arise.

“In line with government advice, the temporary facilities will remain on standby, and will be brought into use if capacity is exceeded at standard storage facilities in the region.”

In neighbouring Dorset, similar facilities have been stood down following a declining number of infections.

However, if they are needed again, they can be reopened "within 72 hours".