'We had nothing, not even a tin of beans'

A food bank has launched an urgent appeal for donations after an increase in demand saw it run out of food.

The food bank at Tow Law Community Centre, in County Durham, provides emergency food parcels and supplies to people facing difficult times, but now faces its own crisis.

While local people have donated in response to the appeal, volunteers say much more help is needed to enable the food bank to carry on.

Volunteer Fiona Nicol said: "Previously the shelves were full, now they're bereft."

She said the appeal was launched because last week, "we literally had nothing, not even a tin of beans".

Ms Nicol said it was the first time in her nine years of volunteering at the food bank it had been left completely empty.

She said the people who used the food bank were from a variety of backgrounds, including people with families and those who are in employment.

"The cost of living crisis has cut across all [people]," she said.

Ms Nicol said there had been a more than 40% increase in demand, with people using it who have never needed it before.

Describing the situation as "frantic", she said: "Some days it's been that busy we couldn't even see the amount of people coming through the doors."

While the bank was "absolutely desperate" for donations, it would not turn people away and volunteers would instead run to the shops to make sure they could provide food, Ms Nicol added.

She thanked everyone who had donated for their invaluable support.

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