INEOS to deliver hand sanitisers to NHS hospitals

(Reuters) - Chemical company INEOS, which sponsors the Tour de France-winning cycling team, is starting to deliver hand sanitisers to NHS hospitals as part of its efforts to help Britain contain the coronavirus outbreak.

"INEOS has today announced that it has started delivering a million bottles of hand sanitiser a month to NHS hospitals across the UK," INEOS said in a statement on Friday.

"The project brought together the manufacturing and enterprise of INEOS led by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the racing team logistics led by Sir Dave Brailsford, the Team Principal of Team INEOS."

Some 28 hospitals across Britain will receive deliveries.

"Getting the hand sanitiser into production in just ten days was a huge team effort and Team INEOS, led by Sir Dave Brailsford, have made a great contribution alongside the rest of the Ineos family," Ratcliffe said.

INEOS said on Wednesday it was building its fourth sanitiser plant, in Etain, northeast France, to help meet a European shortage.

The coronavirus has infected over 65,000 people and killed almost 8,000 in Britain.

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ed Osmond)