HUNDREDS of food parcels were handed out to families with children and thousands more to people in need as the Braintree district foodbank had its busiest six months.

The foodbank, which covers Halstead, Braintree, Witham and the surrounding villages, issued 1,214 three-day emergency supplies between April and September.

About 443 were to families with children.

The foodbank is now looking for Christmas supplies to come in this month.

Volunteer Dave McDonald, 72, said: “I love my job in the foodbank helping people but you can see how hard it is for people, especially leading up to Christmas.

“We’ve got four centres across the district in Braintree, Witham and Halstead. Residents come into the foodbank who are in distress.

“We get quite a few people with no fixed abodes, young people who have no where to live and residents where their benefits have been sanctioned.

“We also get people who have been evicted.

“We can’t offer housing but we can give them food.”

The foodbank need large tins of meat, festive biscuit selections, children’s Christmas sweets and advent calendars.

They are also in need of mince pieces and bottles of squash.

They need to be sealed and with a best before date of January 31 or later.

To contact the Braintree Area Foodbank, phone 01376 330694 or visi www.braintreearea.foodbank.org.uk.