The Housing Secretary has defended travelling from Herefordshire to deliver medicines to his elderly parents during the lockdown.

Robert Jenrick, who lives in Herefordshire, said he respected social distancing when he dropped off medicines and other essentials to his elderly parents, who are self-isolating at their home.

While the Government's guidelines state you should not visit anyone who lives outside your own home, including elderly relatives, you are allowed to "leave your house to help them, for example by dropping shopping or medication at their door".

On Thursday evening, The Guardian reported that a witness told the paper they saw Mr Jenrick visiting his parent's Shropshire house at the weekend, which is 40 miles from his own.

Later in a tweet, the Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary said: "For clarity - my parents asked me to deliver some essentials - including medicines.

"They are both self-isolating due to age and my father's medical condition and I respected social distancing rules."

He included a link to The Guardian story in his tweet.