Over 2,500 meals were donated by Tesco shoppers in Saffron Walden over the festive period.

Recent figures reveal that that the generosity of Tesco shoppers resulted in 2,609 meals being donated as part of the national total of 2.5 million meals that the Tesco Food Collection has raised for charities, the Trussell Trust and FareShare.

The three-day collection which ran from November 21 to 23 is only part of the effort Tesco has made this year to support charities. With more than 500 permanent collection points at Tesco stores, over seven million meals were donated to the Trussell Trust from January to October 2019.

Donations to the Trussell Trust's network of over 1,200 foodbanks are being used to provide food parcels for people in crisis, with a record 1.6 million foodbank parcels being given out in 2019.

FareShare donations go to charities and community groups such as homeless shelters and lunch clubs for senior citizens, who also receive surplus food from Tesco stores. With the support of stores like Tesco, FareShare provides enough food to create almost a million meals for vulnerable people every week.

Christine Heffernan, Tesco Director, thanked customers for their donations: "On my visits to stores during the collection, I was taken aback by the generosity of our customers, I would like to thank all those who donated and we will be doing our bit by topping up all the donations by 20 per cent."

Emma Revie, the Trussell Trust's chief executive, said: "Foodbanks up and down the country could not do what they do without the incredible support of the public. An emergency food parcel, a listening ear and compassionate, practical advice at the foodbank can make a real difference when someone is facing a crisis."

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at FareShare, added: "We are hugely grateful to every single person who volunteered and donated items during this year's Tesco Food Collection - it was wonderful to see so many passionate people lending a hand to support us. All items donated by Tesco customers will be redistributed to charities and community organisations to ensure more people get a hot, nutritious meal."