A HALSTEAD community foodbank has been getting regular donations from national supermarkets in an effort to support residents during the coronavirus lockdown.

The Halstead Community Fridge is an initiative set up by a dedicated trust to help reduce food waste.

However, since the the lockdown, the community fridge has become a convenient way for residents of Halstead to pick up much needed food, a daily necessity made much more difficult in recent weeks.

Since being opened in August 2018, the idea behind the fridge was that restaurants, bakeries and other other food outlets would donate their surplus stock instead of just throwing it away.

Located in the Lodge Gate building on the Causeway, anyone, in need or not, can take what they life from the fridge.

With the introduction of the lockdown, the community fridge has seen an increase in donations, especially from some large nearby supermarkets.

A spokesman for the Halstead Community Fridge Trust said: "I can say that the supermarkets, Lidl, Sainsburys Halstead, and M&S in Colchester have all been amazing in helping the community fridge.

"There are now quite a lot of people in Halstead who are dependent on food surplus donations every day.

"M&S are currently giving us a very large donation every day, mostly of bread but also fruit and vegetables and flowers, and they are very pleased to see that it is not wasted.

"Today there were enough rolls for the foodbank in Halstead as well.

"Nowadays in these difficult time some of the volunteers also take donations to those who cannot come out to the fridge.

"At the moment, the number of people who depend on supplies from the fridge is growing, as quite a number have very little money and there is a shortage of food as well.

With the lockdown in full effect and not being expected to disappear anytime soon, the community fridge is no doubt going to be an important service to residents in the weeks and months to come.

To find out more about the community fridge, visit facebook.com/groups/579966655775804/.