FOOD banks across south Essex have been given a big Christmas boost after the Echo and supermarket customers donated goods by the trolley-load to the cause.

Echo staff have been collecting food at supermarkets all week and yesterday delivered the donations to food banks in south Essex.

Food and goods were collected at Asda, in Pipps Hill, Basildon, on Monday, and Waitrose, Southend, on Wednesday and yesterday the donations were carried to food banks at Lee Chapel North, in Laindon, and the Southchurch food bank, run by the Rev Andy Goodliff.

He said: “Just in the past few weeks, we have seen the number of people coming to us shoot up.

“This donation will enable us to continue to help all those stuck in this crisis situation. We are really grateful for the donation and the publicity the Echo gives us to stay in the minds of people.

“Even after we received the delivery, we had people coming in off the street to donate because they had heard about us in the media.”

Mr Goodliff will distribute the food to collection centres at Belle Vue, Ferndale and West Leigh Baptist Churches, as well as the Methodist Church in Great Wakering.

John McKay runs the Laindon food bank and said the donations should see them through Christmas.

He said: “Lots of it has already gone – we have been inundated with people this week. We might run out of a few things, but we should be OK to get through Christmas.

“You can never have enough donations and we’re grateful to the Echo for raising awareness for us.”

Nadine Carter, promotions and marketing manager for Newsquest Essex, praised people’s generosity.

She said: “It has been fantastic. We have had people donating food, but also cash and even hampers that have been ready-prepared.

“The public have been so generous and we hope their donations will make a real difference this Christmas to those who would go hungry without food banks.”

A collection was also made at Sainsbury’s, in the Knightswick Centre, Canvey, on Friday.

Donations will be given to the Castle Point Association of Voluntary Services today.