A new community fridge in a West Norfolk town will help tackle food waste and aid families living in food poverty.

Supported by West Norfolk council, Discover Downham, in Priory Road, Downham Market, has installed the first community fridge in the area.

It will be open three days a week - on Thursday, Friday and Saturday - from 2pm to 4pm and is open to residents and businesses to share surplus food for free.

Members of the public are welcome to help themselves to free food which would have otherwise gone to waste.

The initiative is support by a number of organisations, including Downham Market Town Council, Recycle for Norfolk, the environmental charity Hubbub UK and Sainsbury's Waste less Save more.

Alan Pickering, chair of the board of trustees of the Downham Market & District Heritage Society, said: 'Discover Downham is an integral part of the local Downham Market community, and we are more than happy to act as a bridge between local businesses and local people, especially if it prevents perfectly good food from being thrown away.

'The scheme is an excellent way for local people to help themselves to good quality free food.'

Organisers have said food waste is a big issue in the UK - the average family throws away £700 worth of food every year and at the same time 4m people in the UK are living in food poverty.

West Norfolk councillor Ian Devereux, portfolio holder for the environment, said: 'No one likes to see edible food go to waste and this is such a simple idea to prevent it.

'Despite growing awareness of food waste generally, there aren't that many ways for businesses to get food nearing its use by date to others until now.'

The chair of the Norfolk Waste Partnership, councillor John Fisher, said: 'We are delighted that Norfolk can be part of the UK's growing Community Fridge Network.

'With ultimately eleven community fridges being installed across Norfolk, we have the largest local network of community fridges in the UK.'

Further details about the Downham Market community fridge can be found at www.recyclefornorfolk.com/discoverycommunities.