A brave nurse who died after contracting coronavirus had warned his family about not having proper PPE - and was left working with just a 'paper mask, plastic gloves and a

A brave nurse who died after contracting coronavirus had warned his family about not having proper PPE - and was left working with just a 'paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny'.

Grandfather Gareth Roberts, 65, had come out of retirement to work at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff and was doing extra shifts to cope with the crisis.

But he became ill himself with coronavirus, and gradually his condition deteriorated. He died at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, south Wales on Saturday. 

His family have now hit out at the lack of protective equipment after the death of the 'much-loved and dedicated' member of the health team.

Grandfather Gareth Roberts, 65, (pictured) had come out of retirement to work at Llandough Hospital in Cardiff and was doing extra shifts to cope with the crisis

Family friend Janette Leonard (left) said that Mr Roberts (right) did not have the correct PPE. She said he had been left wearing just a 'paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny'

Family friend Janette Leonard said: 'He didn't have PPE. In the beginning he said he didn't have anything.

'For Gareth, he paid the ultimate price. Yeah we're angry.

'Why would you send a soldier on to the front line without combat gear? It's unthinkable.'

Mr Roberts devoted 40 years of his life to caring for people in hospitals around Cardiff and spent his last shift at Llandough Hospital in the Welsh capital.

He worked as a nurse across the Cardiff and Vale health board area since the 1980s, coming out of retirement in January 2015.

His wife Linda was told to attend his bedside at 3am when it became clear he would pass away.

Over the last few weeks, Mr Roberts worked extra shifts to help cover the wards at Llandough Hospital. 

Mr Roberts (pictured) worked as a nurse across the Cardiff and Vale health board area since the 1980s, coming out of retirement in January 2015

Mr Roberts' wife Linda (pictured together) was told to attend his bedside at 3am when it became clear he would pass away. Over the last few weeks, Mr Roberts worked extra shifts to help cover the wards at Llandough Hospital

Ms Leonard said: 'They called Linda at three in the morning.

'They said: 'He's going, get over here'. They gowned her up - and she was with him.'

Ms Leonard said the family have concerns about a lack of personal protective equipment for frontline staff.

She said: 'He had a paper mask, plastic gloves and a pinny.

'Well that's alright if you are making sandwiches but not when you are going to nurse people with the disease.'

Ms Leonard has now set up a fundraising page to help his family with funeral costs, which raised £2,700 in less than a day.

His friends say he was a kind man with a great sense of humour.

Ms Leonard, a friend of Mr Roberts since childhood, said his sense of humour would 'make you weak'

'You couldn't not love him - his sense of humour, he was just so dry,' she said.

'Cariad [Welsh for darling] was his favourite word. The nursing sister in the ward was saying to me she'll miss him saying: 'Come on cariad, we can do this together'.

'That's how he was - a proper genuine, lovely guy.'

Mr Roberts, of Aberdare, south Wales was father to Ceri and Dean and a grandfather to 16-year-old Zac - who he and Linda had brought up after their son Dean passed away 11 years ago.

In a statement, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: 'Gareth had been part of our nursing family since the 1980's and worked across our hospital sites.'

It added 'Gareth was well known by everyone and was an extremely popular, fun-filled and well liked person, always greeting everyone with - 'Hello Cariad' when he saw them.'

A spokesman for the Welsh Government said: 'We are working with the rest of the UK to ensure there is sufficient supply of PPE and we're working with Welsh businesses to produce PPE in Wales.

'We are doing everything we can do ensure PPE is available for health and social care staff.'

News of Mr Roberts passing comes as it emerged the EU has ordered €1.5billion (£1.3billion) worth of protective masks, gowns and gloves for doctors and nurses – but Britain did not take part in talks about the purchases.

Some 25 European countries and eight companies are involved in the joint PPE procurement scheme and the first deliveries could be received within days, the Guardian reported.

A spokesman for the commission said the joint scheme has led to offers of protective gear in excess of the amount requested.

However, the UK will miss out on the PPE because it did not take part in any of the three rounds of bulk-buying which were first launched by the EU in February. 

A plaster technician in Doncaster and a pharmacy worker in Merseyside are among the latest NHS workers to have died from the coronavirus.

Donna Campbell, 54, tested positive for coronavirus after being admitted into intensive care at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. She has been described as a bubbly personality

Kevin Smith, who worked putting plaster casts on patients at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, died after catching coronavirus. Colleagues paid tribute to him as an 'incredible person' who 'loved his job' and as a man who was 'renowned for his warm personality'

Donna Campbell, 54, worked as a nurse at the Velindre cancer hospital, Cardiff, where she was known for singing and dancing with patients.

She had been at the hospital for 20 years after getting her first position there as a volunteer, and was known among staff and patients for her bright and bubbly personality.

Ms Campbell was treated in intensive care at University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, after she tested positive for the virus. 

Kevin Smith, who died after a short battle with coronavirus, had worked putting plaster casts on patients at Doncaster Royal Infirmary, South Yorkshire. He had been employed by the NHS for 35 years.

His heartbroken daughter Ellie Whitley wrote on social media: 'It's so overwhelming to see so many amazing comments for such an incredible person who loved his job and everyone he worked with for many years.

'Thank you everyone. We will all miss him greatly but never forget him, ever!'