BABCOCK International is set to manufacture 10,000 ventilators to help deal with the coronavirus crisis.

The defence and engineering giant, a large local employer at their Rosyth Dockyard, announced last night (Monday) that they would be joining the race to build the machines.

A spokesperson said: "We responded quickly to the UK Prime Minister’s UK Ventilator Challenge and we are proud to have been awarded a contract by the Cabinet Office to manufacture 10,000 Zephyr Plus ventilators, subject to regulatory approvals; a product being developed in collaboration with an established major international supplier of critical care ventilators."

The news comes as some industry giants race to step up ventilator supplies to help protect the NHS and save lives throughout the coronavirus pandemic, as part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's call to manufacturers.

Ventilators remove carbon dioxide from the lungs whilst bringing in oxygen, helping patients with the virus to breathe.

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