MESSAGES of support were beamed onto Dorset County Hospital last night in a touching tribute to the heroes working inside.

The images thanked the NHS as they continue the fight against coronavirus, and urged people to do their bit by staying at home.

They were projected onto the Bridport Road side of DCH in a one-off gesture by Gavin Borthwick, who has his own projection business.

The 45-year-old, from Weymouth, runs Light FX UK but has found himself out of work as outdoor events and weddings have been cancelled due to the pandemic.

He decided to make use of his technology, which uses projection mapping, to thank NHS workers across the country.

Mr Borthwick said: "It's a one off thing, it's a way of showing support for the NHS in these really difficult times and to communicate a message to say 'stay at home' as well, that's the aim of it really.

"I have seen a lot of colleagues of mine with projection businesses do similar things across the country so I thought it would be a really decent idea."

The first image revealed an 'NHS heroes' message while the second slide was a moving graphic of the message 'We stay here for you, please stay home for us', with a rainbow acknowledging the artwork being created by children in a bid support people staying indoors.

"The NHS are doing an unbelievable job so I just wanted to send out a message of thanks for their hard work and dedication in the efforts they are making to keep us safe," he added.

A spokesman for DCH said: “We were really grateful for Gavin’s kind offer to help us spread the message about the importance of following the national guidance to stay home in a very striking and eye-catching way.”