Councils across England are to be given an extra £1.6 billion in funding to deal with the coronavirus emergency after complaints from local authorities that services could suffer.

The Local Government Association (LGA) has said the situation could cause some councils to "take extreme cost-cutting and rationing measures soon".

The pandemic emergency has increased pressure on council services like support for those living with disabilities and social care, while income from areas like parking fees has dropped.

Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick said the extra money will boost the backing councils have received to cope with the pandemic to £3.2 billion.

An extra £300 million will go to devolved administrations, with Scotland getting £155 million, Wales £95 million, and Northern Ireland £50 million.

Mr Jenrick said: "I promised local government would have the resources they need to meet this challenge.

"We stand shoulder to shoulder with local government and my priority is to make sure they are supported so they can continue to support their communities through this challenging time.

"Up and down the country council workers are the unsung heroes as we tackle this virus.

"They are in the front line of the national effort to keep the public safe and deliver the services people need."

In a letter to Mr Jenrick before the extra funding was announced, the LGA said "radical action" to prevent councils "rationing spending" was needed

The organisation said that unless more funding was received, the situation would end up "harming both the long-term continuity of existing services and the Covid-19 response at a time when both are so vitally needed, something we all wish to avoid".

The letter also stressed the loss of income being generated by councils.

It said: "Local authorities are suffering severe income loss from a range of services from leisure, parking, bus operations, planning and commercial waste.

"Many councils rely heavily on this income to fund their annual expenditure - on average, 10% of total gross service costs are funded through fees and charges, going up to 25% on average for shire districts in particular."

Following the funding announcement, LGA chairman Cllr James Jamieson said: "We are pleased the Government continues to recognise the huge efforts councils and our staff are making and has responded quickly to our deep concerns about the financial strains being placed on them by providing more desperately-needed new funding."

Labour's shadow local government secretary Steve Reed said: "The additional money announced today is a welcome start, but it is nowhere near enough.

"Councils are facing a financial black hole because of the costs of getting emergency help to vulnerable people and years of the underfunding of local government.

"If the Government breaks their promise to fund whatever's necessary, then cuts will follow and some of the frontline workers we're all cheering will lose their jobs."

Acting leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey said: "It is all very well government ministers praising our council workers as 'unsung heroes', but they need to ensure local authorities have the funding to continue protecting our communities.

"Our councils are crying out for more cash, and the money already promised needs to get there more quickly."