One in four older adults who test positive for Covid-19 no longer follow the rules for self-isolating, a new survey suggests.

Some 75% of respondents aged between 35 and 54 said they fully adhered to the isolation requirements for the entire 10-day period after testing positive for coronavirus.

This is down from 86% in the summer, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which compiled the survey.

A higher proportion of young adults are following the rules, however, up from 75% to 82%.

The figures are based on responses collected from adults in England between September 27 and October 2.

They suggest that most people are still following the requirement to self-isolate, with adherence among all adults standing at 78%.

This is broadly unchanged from 79% in the previous survey in July, but is “significantly lower” than levels seen earlier in the year, such as 84% in April and 86% in May, the ONS said.

The proportion of people saying that self-isolation has affected their wellbeing has fallen.

Around one in three (34%) of those who tested positive reported that isolating had a negative effect on their mental health, down from 42% in July.

The ONS added that the figures should be treated with care, as the survey was based on a relatively small sample of respondents who chose to report their own behaviour.