A DENTAL group has bought thousands of face masks to give away to local people suffering from Covid-19 and to frontline staff at Royal Blackburn Hospital.

Dr Zuber Bagasi, director and founder of Blackburn-based Synergy Dental, scoured the country to buy 5,000 FFP2 masks, which are not hospital-grade but suitable for other use.

Now, the group – which includes a clinic in Queen Street, Great Harwood, and others in Bolton, Bury, Preston, Blackpool, Ormskirk and Birmingham – is offering the masks free to diagnosed patients and members of the public.

Dr Bagasi has also been trying to locate FFP3 face masks that are suitable for hospital use to donate to local healthcare facilities.

He said: “Masks are essential for frontline hospital staff and the NHS is working tirelessly to supply them.

"However, as the supplies are already depleted, many healthcare workers are faced with helping patients while not being fully protected themselves."

For more details, go to www.synergydental.org.uk/coronavirus-facemasks-during-a-pandemic.