A COLLEGE car park in Taunton is to be used as a coronavirus testing site, the County Gazette understands.

Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has declined to confirm whether the car park at Bridgwater and Taunton College has been handed over to the NHS for COVID-19 testing purposes.

But it is believed that the site normally used by staff and students at the campus off Wellington Road in the county town and a location in Yeovil are being used by the NHS.

The facility would see NHS staff and community health workers with symptoms such as a temperature or sore throat being tested for the COVID-19 virus.

They would drive onto the college site to be swabbed without leaving their vehicle.

If they get the all-clear, they would then be able to return to work at a time of increasing numbers of patients being treated for coronavirus.

A CCG spokeswoman said: "The NHS is increasing testing capacity to ensure we increase capacity of staff to enable them to return to work if they are able to.

"Those eligible for tests are being notified by their employers and are being notified of the location to attend."

When pressed further, she added: "We will not be confirming the location of testing sites."