Millions of items of essential Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), part-funded by Blackburn with Darwen council, are on their way to social care and other vital services within Lancashire after arriving by plane.

The Lancashire Resilience Forum (LRF) has taken delivery of around 180 pallets of equipment, including aprons and eye protection, three million masks and 946,000 gloves.

The PPE is now being distributed to areas of greatest need through councils and primarily adult social care providers such as nursing and care homes.

The funding for this equipment came direct from Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council and Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Chief executive of Lancaster City Council, Kieran Keane, who is responsible for overseeing logistics within the LRF said: "We're proud that our LRF partners in Lancashire have been able to work closely together to make this happen.

"These supplies will support people working in social care, as they work tirelessly to help some of Lancashire’s most vulnerable residents during the Coronavirus outbreak.

"This delivery will massively improve our position in the county, but PPE is still a major priority, both locally and nationally.

"We are still working to secure local suppliers and more robust supply lines, so that we don’t have to buy in from abroad."

Deliveries are also being received from the Government, which will assist with the levels of equipment needed for key workers across Lancashire.