An innovative food donation drive saw nearly four tonnes of food collected over a weekend for charities that help some of Epsom's most needy.

Sainsbury’s teamed up with FareShare, a charity that works to alleviate food poverty, to hold the first ever food donation drive at the supermarket's Kiln Lane store on the weekend of July 8 to July 10.

Customers were invited to choose from a variety of suggested items, with the focus on store cupboard products to supplement the perishable goods Sainsbury’s normally donates to FareShare.

Food was collected at the tills by FareShare volunteers and was transported back to be shared between FareShare’s two depots based in London. The food collected will now be distributed to local charities.

Organisations receiving FareShare food are St Cuthbert’s, a charity that runs an open-door drop-in centre along with Feeding Hope, which provides food and other support services to destitute families and single vulnerable people.

Steve Milton, St Cuthbert’s centre manager, said: "FareShare is essential. St Cuthbert’s couldn’t survive without it. Clients would not eat regularly without St Cuthbert’s. If they don’t come here they may not get a meal that week, FareShare helps us to give a much better and varied menu."

The supermarket chain has been working with the charity since 1994 but this is the first time customers were asked to take part in food donation.

Sainsbury’s Kiln Lane Store Manager Luke Baldwin said: "We’d like to thank our customers for the generosity, which made this food drive such a success. Many of the region’s most vulnerable people will now benefit from high quality nutritious meals provided by FareShare.

"With 40 per cent of food donation charities struggling to meet demand, it is more important than ever that we do all we can to support causes such as this."

Lindsay Boswell, Chief Executive of FareShare said: "Donating nearly four tonnes of food is a fantastic gesture from Sainsbury’s Kiln Lane customers.

"They have helped us to provide food for even more of the area’s vulnerable people and we’d like to say thank you for all the help we have received through this trial with Sainsbury’s."