Community rallies round after York food bank theft

The store at the I Am Reusable food bank was broken into last Thursday

A food bank says it is "overwhelmed" by the support it has received after its entire stock was stolen last week.

Two people forced open a storage cupboard at the I Am Reusable base in York and "stripped the main food shed of everything," the charity said.

Organiser John McGall said there had been an "absolutely fantastic" response from locals.

"We've even had people who used to come to the food bank actually come back with items of food as well," he said.

A local business has offered to repair the damaged doors and people have donated supermarket food deliveries to replenish the stolen goods.

Mr McGall said a man and a woman were seen breaking into the food supplies and when they were challenged by a neighbour said "we can take what we want, it's a food bank".

North Yorkshire Police are investigating the theft, which took place on Thursday afternoon.

Despite the break-in the food bank, based near the city centre, still managed to get food parcels out over the weekend.

Speaking on BBC Radio York, Mr McGall said the organisation fed more than 100 people a day and demand was likely to grow when the school summer holidays started.