Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has named his hometown daily newspaper’s news app as the one he uses more than any other.

Mr Sunak, who grew up in Southampton and is a keen supporter of Southampton FC, says he uses the Daily Echo app “the whole time.”

The PM has joined the thousands of subscribers who get exclusive access to the app, which offers up to the minute Saints coverage as well as all the latest news from around Southampton.

Mr Sunak was speaking to the paper during a visit to Eastleigh FC’s stadium after their run in the FA Cup which ended in defeat to Newport County last week.

He said: “My parents always ask me how I know what’s happening in Southampton… I say to them ‘oh there’s a new shop opening in Westquay’ and it’s because I have the app.

“I mainly use it for the Saints news the whole time. But it’s probably the news app I’m on more than any else.”

Echo editor Ben Fishwick said:  “While the PM may not be to everyone’s tastes, Rishi Sunak reading the Daily Echo app is yet another reminder of how local press is more relevant than ever – whether you’re following football or local news.

“Access to the app is one of the many exclusive benefits that subscribers can enjoy – and we now count more than 2,760 paying subscribers on dailyecho.co.uk – a huge growth achieved in the last 12 months thanks to a phenomenal team at the Echo.

“I’m looking forward to rewarding our subscribers further this year with exclusives, investigations, court coverage and of course Saints updates – every subscriber is highly valued whether they’re the PM or otherwise.”

The app costs £3 for a three-month subscription.