Councillor Patrick Harley said the authority was still in need of visors, gloves, masks and other equipment for council social workers on the frontline looking after the borough’s most vulnerable.

He said he was extremely grateful for all the donations so far. The leader has also hailed the work of borough manufacturing firm Thomas Dudley, where workers have invented a new tool to make face guards using plastic injection moulding.

The firm, based on Birmingham New Road, hopes to mass produce 20,000 of the visors per week to be used on the frontline.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of the council, said:

I would like to wholeheartedly thank all the local firms who have come forward so far to donate PPE equipment.

We still need more, which is why I wanted to make a personal appeal to anyone who can come forward and help out.

We are all in this fight together. We are seeing brilliantly innovative work from firms in the Black Country, including one of the oldest and most long-standing, Thomas Dudley. What they are doing is incredible and I would like to thank them on behalf of the borough.

We all need to play our part. We need to give all the support we can to our frontline heroes, our social care workers helping to look after our parents, grandparents and great grandparents.

They need to be protected. If you have any PPE equipment we could use, please get in touch.

The council is asking businesses to donate any spare PPE they currently have in stock including:

• Fluid repellent disposable gowns – EN13795 
• Nitrile non-sterile gloves - EN 374
• Plastic aprons – category 1
• Eyewear and face protection - EN166 
• FFP2 and FFP3 masks - EN 149
• IIR Surgical masks - EN14683

Please note, products must be within their use by date and must adhere to the relevant standards.

Businesses able to donate can contact the council by calling 01384 814444 or emailing corporate.procurement@dudley.gov.uk.

For more advice and support about coronavirus go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus or www.dudley.gov.uk/coronavirus.