Immobilised insert

A method of manufacturing an elongate tape element for bridging a gap between windings of a flexible pipe body layer, comprising the steps of:

• providing an elongate sheet having a uniform thickness and a first and further spaced apart long edge, to a first pair of a plurality of spaced apart pairs of opposed forming roller elements;
• via the pairs of roller elements, progressively forming a cross-sectional profile in the sheet that comprises a body portion comprising a folded central region of the sheet and a first and further wing portion that each extend away from the body portion and terminate at a respective long edge of the sheet;
• and
• securing adjacent regions of the wing portions and/or opposed regions of the body portion together thereby providing a windable elongate tape element having laterally immobilised wing portions.