A 3D printing expert has thanked people who helped him supply thousands of pieces of protective equipment to frontline workers.

James Russell-Grant, 40, usually specialises in the design and manufacture of bespoke car parts with his part-time business Print Solid.

But at the outset of the coronavirus crisis, and with a surge in the need for personal protective equipment, Mr Russell-Grant came together with other people with similar skills across the country to form the 3DCrowd.

Using a template, they printed a face shield frame which combined with a length of buttonhole elastic and an A4 acetate sheet could become a kit for anyone who needed the vital PPE.

As well as volunteering his printers, Mr Russell-Grant offered to run the Essex distribution centre for the kit from Layer de la Haye Village Hall.

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Parts would be delivered to his home nearby and he would stay up until the early hours putting them together.

Fortunately, more traditional supply chains have now sprung into action meaning the centre has been shut down.

Mr Russell-Grant said: “Over the course of three months, makers from across the region would drop the component parts to my home in Layer de la Haye, and I would then take them to the village hall where I would clean and assemble the kits, often into the early hours of the morning.

“We delivered more than 2,500 shields to hospitals, nurses, nursing homes, ambulance drivers and school workers.

“An additional 1,500 units were sent from Colchester across to the Cambridge hub to fulfil orders in their region.

“It has been a rewarding project and I was fortunate to be delivering to many of the nursing staff in person and witness their gratitude at what was a difficult and challenging time for them.

“We have now been able to close the Colchester hub as all local orders have been fulfilled and larger manufacturers have now ramped up production to cover current and future requirements.

“I would like to offer my thanks to the Layer community for allowing the use of the village hall annex as the Colchester hub. We couldn’t have managed the project without it and those who contributed their time to help me manage the stock at the hall, the generous donations via my fundraising page. There has been an army of 3D printing enthusiasts from across the region, including Tiptree, Colchester and Mersea who kept the hub stocked with thousands of face shield components.”

For more information about Print Solid go to printsolid.co.uk.