A MAN who took to creating cartoons based on a no-nonsense Lancashire nurse he met in hospital is back with more coronavirus-based creations.

Toby Symonds created his character – ‘Lancashire Linda’ – after he encountered a Lancashire nurse in the cardiac unit at Airedale Hospital in West Yorkshire.

He said: “I was blogging at the time to keep my family in the loop about what was going on for me and mentioned the people that cared for me and the funny conversations we’ve had.

“Though I didn’t know her long, she made quite the impression. Indeed, famously, she once told me ‘there’s nothing we can do for you so you’re just taking a bed from someone else’ - she meant well.

“She was very no-nonsense and I called her Lancashire Linda - and people said I should write a book about her and the things she said.

“I rolled with that and drew a little illustration... it just spawned from there really.”

Across eight months of treatment – what Mr Symonds called the “most gruelling” experience of his life – he managed to produce over 100 strips to entertain both himself and his family.

After being furloughed, he decided to return to cartooning and has been encouraged from “all quarters” to get the pieces published.

His new creations include Linda reacting to a copy of the Lancashire Telegraph, suggesting that Prime Minister Boris Johnson should return to school after it was announced that schools will reopen for some pupils on 1 June.