Despicable crooks steal £166k of PPE from warehouse in Greater Manchester

SHAMELESS crooks have stolen £166,000 worth of PPE from a warehouse in Greater Manchester.

Officers were called to the unit in Salford last night following reports a large amount of personal protective equipment was taken.

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Further details about the raid, believed to have taken place at the Trafalgar Business Park, will be released by officers at 3.30pm today.

It comes after health and safety inspectors deemed all of the 400,000 gowns flown in from Turkey for coronavirus medics as being "useless".

With pressure mounting on the government's handling of the crisis, the vital personal protective equipment was impounded in a warehouse outside Heathrow Airport.

The PPE delivery had been heralded by ministers as crucial help in tackling the UK shortage. The NHS uses 150,000 a day.

Delivery of the crucial equipment - dubbed Air Jenrick" after the Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick - was delayed.

It finally arrived three days late but only carrying 32,000 gowns.

When the full amount did reach the UK, inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive found the gowns were faulty and did not conform to UK standards, the Telegraph reports.

NHS trusts who had been promised the much-needed PPE were then told deliveries had been scrapped.

Officials announced that the UK coronavirus death toll had hit 30,615 after another 539 fatalities were recorded.

A 28-year-old patient, with no known underlying health conditions, was the youngest victim in the past 24 hours.

In Scotland, a further 59 coronavirus deaths have been recorded since yesterday taking the total number of deaths in the country to 1,762.

Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the lockdown in the country will continue until May 28.

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In Wales, another 18 deaths were reported today bringing the total to 1,062. Meanwhile in Northern Ireland, the death toll hit 422 after four more people died.

But some of the lockdown measures could begin to ease from next week, it was revealed today.

Cafes could re-open and outdoor spaces soon after while park picnics may also be on again, as long as people stay two metres apart.