At 97 years of age, D-Day veteran Donald McGeachy was the first man to get the Covid vaccine at Maldon District Council offices this afternoon (Friday, 18 December).

Proudly wearing his row of medals as he was taken to have the jab at 1.30pm, Donald joked with medical staff - smiling and cheekily asking pharmacist Megan Owen who gave the vaccine if she'd "done this before".

Donald, who lives in Maldon and has seen much tougher challenges in his time, told Maldon Nub News: "I'm pleased to be having it done - oh yes."

The council offices were barely recognisable, having undergone a remarkable transformation - up to and including the installation of a special floor - to allow nightly deep cleaning and the regular disinfecting of surfaces throughout the day. The space allocated for the hub is large and airy, allowing plenty of room for social distancing, too.

An orderly system was in place from the start, with medical centre GPs and staff on hand, as well as volunteers from Maldon District CVS (Community Volunteer Service) and local police, who are all helping to ensure everything runs smoothly.

The vaccine hub will serve patients from Longfields Medical Centre, Blackwater Medical Centre and Tollesbury surgery.

After giving Donald his vaccine, Megan said: "This is wonderful. I am absolutely over the moon that we are able to do it."