Prime Minister Boris Johnson has praised staff and residents at a Hitchin care home - promising to visit when the Covid crisis has been tamed.

During a zoom call that saw Johnson call Foxholes Care Home in January, the PM also hailed the primary care network team in our area for successfully administering Covid jabs.

During the virtual meeting, the PM watched as 97-year-old Jeanette Shadbolt and 95-year-old Audrey Cornall were given their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Whitehall mandarins organised the timely boost after they became aware of heartwarming tales from the home on Pirton Road shared with them by the Department of Health and Social Care.

The rollout began last month at Foxholes, with 43 residents receiving the vaccination - which now means more than 3,500 people in and around Hitchin have now received the life-saving jab - thanks to hard work from Dr Tara Belcher and the primary care network team.

Observing Jeanette receive her jab - who had joshed that she had had her nails manicured prior to Johnson's call - the Prime Minister congratulated her for 'not blinking', while apologising that the home was not able to host many family visits.

The PM also hoped the vaccinations would return a sense of normality to the country as soon as possible.

Jeanette explained it was a privilege to be given the jab, noting it was 'wonderful' to see the PM again, after the Conservative leader called the home during the first lockdown to thank staff for their efforts in shielding everyone from the deadly disease.

Upon receiving her vaccine, Audrey told the Prime Minister: "The vaccine rollout is a great scheme. I think you're doing the best that can be done in this difficult situation.

"Everyone at Foxholes is so kind and helpful to us. They look after us well and feed us well - it couldn't be better."

The Tory leader ended the call by saying: "Thank you for having me back. Foxholes is a lovely care home and I will visit in person when the pandemic has subsided."