USUALLY this Winchester man's day job involves quality checking gas mains for Cadent.

But now, Nic Anderson is serving full time with the British Army as part of Operation Rescript – the military drive to support the civil authorities during coronavirus.

He is one of almost 100 Reservists from his unit 7 RIFLES and is manning Covid-19 mobile testing units in Thames Valley.

Nic said: "I’m proud to be involved in Operation Rescript, it’s important to me and the rest of the Riflemen as it’s a nationwide issue and we want to do what we can to help resolve it.”

After receiving their call-up papers in April, Nic and his fellow reservists underwent specialist training.

The Mobile Testing Units allow people who suspect they may have the virus to self-administer a swab test which is then processed at a centre in Oxford.

They visit different locations across the Thames Valley each day including Bracknell, Reading, Aylesbury, Bicester, Amersham, Slough and Windsor.

Nearly 200 soldiers from Nic’s unit are also currently deployed in Cyprus supporting UN peace-keeping operations.

He added: "My reserve skills, knowledge, training and experience complement my work for Cadent and vice versa.

“It allows me to bring the team work and commitment to shared goals with a determination to succeed into the work place as well as applying my safety and process awareness to military training."

Nic has been with Cadent since its inception having joined predecessor company National Grid as a trainee engineer back in 2012.

His current full time role with the Army is the latest chapter in a part time career which goes back more than 20 years.