A YORKSHIRE ambulance technician who tested positive for coronavirus has thanked staff at a local convenience store for their support during the lockdown.

Jonathan Sowerby, 52, from Staincross, was diagnosed with the virus whilst working on the frontline. Upon his recovery after 14 days on Barnsley’s high dependancy unit, Jonathan found he’d won a prize draw for a bottle of Prosecco – and thanked staff at his local Bargain Booze for their support.

“Thankfully due to the amazing NHS workers, I managed to come out at the other end,” he said.

“It’s the small gestures that really touch my heart. I’ve had so many well-wishers get in touch to show their support. The staff at Bargain Booze have been fantastic, and it was so lovely for them to support the community.

“It’s been overwhelming and incredibly humbling, and I can’t thank everyone enough for their support. Thank you to my friend Joanne Hinchliffe for her nomination for this.”

Olivia Briggs, who works at Bargain Booze in Darton, said: “We did a prize draw on Facebook which gave people the opportunity to nominate a key worker to receive a prize. Jonathan was the worthy winner of this, and we wish him a speedy recovery going forward.

“We wanted to find a way to thank everybody across the borough, and even if it’s a small gesture, we hope it goes a long way.”