A farmer and his son have offered to help build a drive-thru Covid-19 vaccine centre.

Stephen and James Attwood who farm in Swale have written to Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson asking him to pass on their offer "at high level".

The Attwoods, who farm on Sheppey and in Sittingbourne, said: "The roll-out of the new vaccine is of such importance it requires a national effort. The Government should work with the private sector.

"Drive-thrus could be constructed across the country in large car parks, airports, private hospitals and county showgrounds which could operated 24/7."

They say the centres could handle "thousands per hour" and patients would need not even get out of their cars, minimising any risk of infection.

They added: "Whole families could be vaccinated in one go simply by opening the window. This would deal with vast numbers of people who need vaccinating quickly."

They have already identified Morrisons car park at Neats Court, Queenborough, and the Tesco car park in Sheerness as possible sites and say the Kent showground at Detling off the A249 could handle large volumes of traffic.

In a letter to Mr Henderson, Stephen Attwood promised: "We would be more than happy to donate staff and machinery to help construct these drive-thrus free of charge. I’m sure many other businesses would also be willing to help."

The farmer, based at New Hook Farm, Eastchurch, added: "I’m just trying to get the message to high level government that small businesses like mine would be prepared to help free of charge. I would expect hundreds of thousands right across the country, large and small, would contribute to the national effort."

He said motorway service stations could also be ideal sites.

Mr Henderson said: "The vaccination programme is being rolled out nationally by the NHS as stocks of the vaccine become available. Unfortunately, this is not something that be organised unilaterally by either Kent County Council, Swale Borough Council, me or local businesses."

But he said he had forwarded the suggestion to Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office.

Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of Swale council who was copied in to the Attwoods' letter, replied: "It is the responsibility of the Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group to manage the delivery of vaccines to people.

"At the moment the emphasis is on the Pfizer vaccine which is going first to the over-80s.

"There is already a site in Sheerness and we expect one to be operational in Sittingbourne soon."

He added: "With the licensing of the Oxford vaccine, a much wider distribution will be possible. Swale council will be pressing, as we always are, for sites in Swale as soon as possible."

High street chains Tesco and Boots have offered to help with the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.

The supermarket chain offered its distribution arm to help deliver the vaccine, while Boots is opening three Covid-19 vaccination sites, in Halifax, Huddersfield and Gloucester.

Mr Attwood senior said: "The only way we could get everyone to pull together would be right from the top. The only people who might have an effect are the politicians."

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