The trucks will transport a variety of items required to establish the infrastructure needed to help tackle the Ebola outbreak.

Jungheinrich UK Ltd has supplied forklifts that have been flown to Sierra Leone as part of the UK government's response to the Ebola virus crisis.

The Department for International Development (DfID) acquired the trucks - a 7 T diesel-powered counterbalance forklift and two 4 T diesel-powered counterbalance forklifts from Jungheinrich's DFG range. The trucks will transport a variety of items required to establish the infrastructure needed to help tackle the Ebola outbreak.

The 7 T truck was fitted with extended forks to help manoeuvre large and awkwardly shaped loads safely and efficiently.

Within a week of the DfID's approach to Jungheinrich, the forklifts were prepared and flown to West Africa on a transport plane from East Midlands.

A spokesman for the DfiD's procurement office has praised the speed at which Jungheinrich was able to respond to the organisation's initial enquiry.

The spokesman says: "In this situation, every minute counts and we would not have been able to achieve what we did in such a short timeframe without the sort of attitude shown by Jungheinrich."

The UK has so far committed GBP125 million (USD190 million) to tackle Ebola. This includes supporting 700 treatment beds to help up to 8,800 patients over six months, as well as shoring up the country's stretched public health services to help contain the disease.