Food delivery service closes with immediate effect

A food delivery service that caters for elderly and vulnerable adults in part of Derbyshire has closed with immediate effect.

Meals on Wheels Amber Valley announced on its website that it had stopped delivering from Saturday due to staff "safeguarding".

Linsey Farnsworth, Labour MP for Amber Valley, said she was "incredibly concerned" by the closure and added it was "really important" everyone affected was made aware so they could find an alternative provider.

Meals on Wheels Amber Valley has been contacted for comment but said on its website that it was no longer taking payments and any standing orders would need to be cancelled by customers.

According to the Meals on Wheels Amber Valley website, the service delivered between 50 and 100 hot meals each day between the hours of 11:30 and 13:30.

Farnsworth said Meals on Wheels services were "incredibly valuable", particularly with recent cold weather conditions, adding that for some people it would be their only communication with others throughout the day.

"I'm incredibly concerned about it, it was so sudden. I want to make sure people know that it's closed but also that they have an alternative available to them," she added.

The MP said the response from the community had been "fantastic" and praised people for sharing the announcement on social media, asking them to check in on others in the area.

"It's really important that we reach all of the people that might be affected. I'm very conscious that some of those people are unlikely to use social media," she added.

She appealed for members of the public to contact her if they knew people affected.

"We're more than happy, me and my team, to help find another provision for them if they need help, particularly if it's an elderly or vulnerable person that does not have access to the internet," Farnsworth added.

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