Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions are expected to come into force in parts of Nottinghamshire on Wednesday.

The PA news agency understands that MPs from the Nottinghamshire region were briefed this morning that a Government announcement is due on Monday.

The areas reported to be in line for Tier 3 restrictions are Nottingham city, Rushcliffe, Broxtowe and Gedling.

MPs from the north of the county were not invited to the meeting with health minister Nadine Dorries on Friday morning as rates in their constituencies are lower than the rest of the region, but it is understood Tier 3 restrictions in those areas will not be far behind.

PA understands that the Nottinghamshire MPs present pressed the Government ministers to “improve communication” with them and local leaders.

MPs also attempted to tackle the issue of financial support – with a source close to the meeting saying a question about a sufficient economic settlement would be “passed on to the Treasury”.

It is claimed Ms Dorries did not accept that the council had not had enough financial support.

Local leaders from both Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council are expected to have a further meeting with the Government on Friday afternoon.

The Nottinghamshire region has become a cause for concern over recent days after Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) saw a “dramatic increase” in the number of Covid-19 hospital patients.

Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust’s chief executive, Tracy Taylor, said the QMC exceeded 200 patients with the virus over the past few days – with numbers “increasing by nearly another full ward of people” every day.

Despite the rise in hospital cases, the city’s coronavirus case numbers have started to decline in recent days – as 610.1 cases per 100,000 people were reported in the week to October 18.

This is in contrast to 926.7 cases per 100,000 people in the previous week.

The expected Tier 3 restrictions have coincided with a number of student parties which have been condemned by the county’s police force.

Nottinghamshire Police said after fining four students £10,000 for an illegal house party that the force dealt with more than 60 other students, with a further four parties shut down.

Police previously handed the maximum fine to four students who accused police officers of “spoiling their fun” at a house party – saying “we should be having the time of our lives”.

Assistant Chief Constable Kate Meynell, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “Despite a plea to stop these parties and only a day after we have given out considerable fines for exactly this, which should have served as a warning, we are still finding a number of students who think the law simply doesn’t apply to them.

“We know the vast, vast majority of students who come and study in our city are following the rules and for this we really do want to thank them.

“But for some reason there is a small minority of students who are deliberately and provocatively flouting the rules like this and enough is enough.

“It is illegal and there are very good reasons for that. By not complying with the rules they are increasing the spread of Covid in our city and surrounding areas.

“I find it absolutely astounding that we need to keep repeating the same message again so quickly after issuing a strong plea earlier this week.”

Both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University said any students found to have breached coronavirus restrictions could face exclusion.