Coronavirus: Teignbridge Council delivers food aid to elderly man

A hotline service will help deliver supplies to vulnerable people who are self-isolating

An elderly man who lives in an isolated village has received a vital food package after having not eaten for two days.

The package was delivered in Devon after Teignbridge Council launched a hotline to help vulnerable people who might have been overlooked.

Authority bosses said the man, who has not been named, got the food within two hours of calling its food-hub.

Council leader Gordon Hook said he was now on the authority's radar.

The Teignbridge Community Support Hotline will enable anyone not already in a current support network, to make helpers aware of their needs - especially for people who are elderly or disabled and unable to leave the house.

It will be a back-up to the support already in place, which includes food deliveries coordinated by central and local government, NHS responders checking in on patients and local voluntary groups providing care.

Cllr Gordon Hook said the council was "working hard to maintain all essential services"

Talking about the delivery, Mr Hook said: "We took his address and one of our staff members took a food parcel from our delivery centre straight round to his home, so he had provisions within two hours."

He thanked the staff "who have shown courage and flexibility in responding to the many challenges posed by the impact of Covid-19".

"I cannot speak highly enough of the outstanding commitment being shown by so many at this uniquely challenging time," Mr Hook added.

More than 750,000 people have volunteered to support the NHS in England during the coronavirus crisis.

They have now started to receive tasks, which include delivering food and medicines, driving patients to appointments and phoning people in isolated communities.