A company which has made more than 200,000 face shields alongside other vital PPE is preparing for what life will be like after lockdown.

Loddon based Panel Graphics, in South Norfolk, were manufacturing more than 10,000 face shields per day within a week of the UK going into lockdown.

The manufacturing company was praised for switching its production to PPE face shields which have been donated to the region’s hospitals and frontline workers.

While Panel Graphics are continuing to make the much needed PPE for hospitals and the ambulance service throughout lockdown, they are now gearing up to make their PPE available to a larger range of sectors for any staff who will interact with the public after lockdown, including retail workers, schools and businesses.

Panel Graphics, who usually produce specialist plastics for Bentley Motors and McLaren Automative, alongside industrial technology equipment, marine aviation and electronic displays, thanks South Norfolk Council for guidance as to what may be needed after lockdown.

Panel Graphics managing director Steve Earl said: “Without the support of South Norfolk Council and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) I would not have been brave enough to invest in the switchover costs. I wanted to help the NHS and support the wider community and this felt like the right thing to do.

“We have supplied more than 200,000 face shields to NHS workers, care homes, the ambulance service and other frontline staff and that is just across Norfolk and Suffolk.

“We supplied 150,000 of these at no profit to support the NHS and frontline staff. We are now talking to businesses and other organisations about supplying face shields to their staff as people start to go back to work post-lockdown and want to stay safe.”

South Norfolk Council cabinet member Lisa Neal said: “The Council is doing all it can to support our local businesses and we were really pleased to be able to point Steve and his team in the right direction. This is a local company who wanted to do their bit to help all those on the front line and the wider community. What they achieved in such a short space of time is remarkable.”