Covid: Hundreds of Easter eggs collected for Plymouth health workers

Zoe Richards has collected more than 500 easter eggs to donate to workers at Plymouth's Derriford hospital

A woman has put together a collection of more than 500 Easter eggs to donate to staff working on coronavirus wards.

Zoe Richards set up the project to support Plymouth's Derriford Hospital after seeing reports about the conditions nurses were facing.

She said she was particularly moved by staff talking about the effect of wearing personal protective equipment.

Ms Richards, from South Brent in Dartmoor, set up a Facebook group to collect donations from the community.

She said: "I've had a really good response, which I didn't expect."

Ms Richards will deliver the eggs to the hospital ahead of Easter weekend

Ms Richards explained she decided to put out the call after watching a BBC Spotlight report into the work of nurses on Covid wards at the hospital, explaining the "red marks" left after hours of wearing masks "got to me".

She has already exceeded her "ideal plan" by collecting more than 500 eggs.

Ms Richards explained she intends to get as many as possible to deliver to the hospital on around 30 March ahead of Easter weekend and her hope was the donations would help support staff working in the challenging conditions on the wards.

"And that some people are actually thinking about them and everything they're doing for us," she added.