University of East Anglia staff produce hand sanitiser

University scientists have begun making hand sanitiser to help a local council and the NHS cope with the coronavirus outbreak.

Chemistry labs at the University of East Anglia were quiet after teaching and research stopped, so Norfolk County Council and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital asked staff to produce gel.

Prof Mark Searcey said: "All of the technicians, basically, who were normally in the science teaching building, jumped at the chance to actually make a contribution.

"Within a very short time I think we'd got about 170 litres of hand sanitiser, but we need a lot more."

The university has appealed for businesses to come forward to help them produce the gel and supply ingredients.