Covid: Actors give safety training to North Sea wind farm workers

Trainees interact with the actors during socially distanced sessions

Offshore workers are being trained in how to deal with disasters, by a team of actors who have been left unemployed during the pandemic.

The performers act out scenarios at a new £1.4m centre in North Lincolnshire built by wind farm developer Ørsted.

One actress said it was a "brilliant way of emotionally engaging people" in health and safety.

Danish company Ørsted is building the world's biggest wind farm off the East Yorkshire coast.

Trainee offshore workers interact with the performers during scenarios at the training centre in Immingham.

One story is about a worker who dies and the reaction of his family, colleagues and a subsequent police investigation.

Actress Laura Peterson, from East Yorkshire, said the work was "supporting me 100%" during the pandemic as theatres had shut their doors.

Ms Peterson, who appeared in Little Women at Beverley's East Riding Theatre last year, said she was surprised to be offered the job.

"I think it's a brilliant way of emotionally engaging people that are doing this sort of work in order to make them recognise that health and safety is a massive part, " she added.

Laura Peterson (left) said the work was supporting her through the pandemic as theatres were shut

Andrew Pearson, from Active Training Team, which runs the centre, described the facility as "like a big film set".

"It runs very like a theatre production," he said.

"You have a stage manager, you have crew, you have ushers who move people around, you have catering and we're all here under one roof."

Mr Pearson said the production was socially distanced, with the team of 30 actors working in bubbles and having weekly Covid-19 tests.

Dozens of workers will receive the training over the next few months and Ørsted said it hoped the facility would be used by other offshore companies.