'Queues down the street' in Stoke-on-Trent for free supermarket food

A woman who runs a social supermarket says people have been queuing down the street.

Nikki Barrett runs Affordable Food Stoke, which saves surplus food that would otherwise be thrown away and gives it to people in need.

"People are really really struggling, so we are doing all that we can to try and help people," Ms Barrett said.

The government has said it is "using all the tools at our disposal to bring inflation down".

"We had the police called the other week to see what was going on due to the amount of cars parked up," Ms Barrett added.

The charity gives out free food during mornings from Tuesday to Saturday.

The amount of food given away sometimes has to be limited due to the volume of people visiting but most people get about £15 of free food, Ms Barrett said.

UK prices are continuing to rise at their fastest rate for 40 years due to climbing food, energy and fuel costs.

The government has said every household in the UK is to get an energy bill discount of £400 this October as part of a package of new measures to tackle soaring prices.

Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chancellor, said the country needed "more than sticking plasters to get us back on course - we need a stronger, and more secure economy".

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