A vital service, which has helped thousands of people with food when they need it most, has issued an urgent appeal for help amid the continuing coronavirus crisis.

With shoppers converging on supermarkets to stock up on items, calls have gone out to support Lowestoft Foodbank as they “urgently need” more supplies.

Dwindling stocks have hit Lowestoft Foodbank and as demand for emergency food parcels keeps growing, an urgent appeal for donations has been issued.

After Lowestoft Foodbank was formed in October 2017, more than 4,000 people were supplied with a three-day emergency food package - which equates to around 30 tonnes of food - during its first year of operating.

The Foodbank led by Lowestoft Community Church, in conjunction with poverty charity the Trussell Trust, is supported by Lowestoft Rising and Access Community Trust as it runs seven foodbank centres across Lowestoft, Kessingland and Saxmundham.

Sam Porter, of Lowestoft Foodbank, said: “At Lowestoft Foodbank we continue to experience high levels of demand for the three-day emergency food parcels that we supply to those in need.

“Over the recent winter months we have seen a 37 per cent increase in usage of Foodbank compared to the previous year.

“As a result of this situation, we are running very low on many items of stock such as tinned meat and fish, dried pasta, tinned fruit and vegetables, instant mash, tinned tomatoes, pasta sauce, custard and rice pudding, tea, coffee, UHT milk and fruit juice.

“Therefore we are asking for members of the public, businesses and organisations to consider donating some of these items on a regular basis.

“The easiest way to do this is to add them to your usual weekly shopping list and then put them into the donation baskets that you will find in supermarkets such as Morrisons (Pakefield), Tesco, Asda and the Co-Op stores.

“If you have a larger donation that you would like to make then please contact us at info@lowestoft.foodbank.org.uk

“We are so grateful to all those who regularly support the work of Lowestoft Foodbank and to all the volunteers who give their time to serve people in our community who are experiencing hardship.”

Phil Aves, change manager at Lowestoft Rising, said the stock levels at Lowestoft Foodbank has reached “alarming” levels as he called on shoppers to be more considerate .