Safety equipment manufacturer gets new MoD contract

Avon Protection manufactures gas masks for military and emergency workers

A safety equipment company which manufactures gas masks for military personnel and emergency workers say a new contract from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) will safeguard 250 jobs.

Avon Protection, based in Melksham, Wiltshire, was awarded the £38m contract in May.

The company has been supplying the MoD with general service respirator masks since 2018.

"We’re really excited, and our people are proud of what they do," company president Steve Elwell said.

Every year, Avon Protection manufactures more than 100,000 gas masks.

It says the new contract means it will be able to continue supporting the UK armed forces for at least four years.

Gas masks made in Melksham will also be sent to troops in Ukraine.

Avon Protection president Steve Elwell said his staff are "proud" of their work

Mr Elwell said: "What’s really important to us is that quality.

"I’m very conscious that our users never really want to wear our product - it’s a pretty bad day when they do need to wear it - but of course when you need to put that product on what you need is the confidence that it’s going to work."

Military expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said it was important UK troops had the right equipment

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon is a former army chemical weapons commander.

“We are learning an awful lot about warfare in Ukraine at the moment - be it drones, be it the use of tanks, but also the use of toxic chemicals and CS gas which is giving the Russians a real advantage," he said.

“It is a possibility that if things go really badly that Nato and the British military will get involved in the fight.

"If they do, they need to make sure they have absolutely right equipment."