Staff at a string of Tesco Express stores in Burton and South Derbyshire are getting into the festive spirit - with food collections planned to hand out to homeless people over Christmas.

The Tesco convenience stores in Hearthcote Road, Swadlincote, Common Road, Church Gresley, High Street, Woodville, Stanton Road, Burton, and Best Avenue in Stapenhill will all be getting involved to collect food for families in need.

Food collected by the stores will be donated to Burton HOPE, (Helping Our People Eat), which recently started to carry out work in Swadlincote to combat homelessness in the town.

Burton HOPE is run entirely by volunteers who go into Burton to meet and support people living on the streets. They offer food, warm clothes and blankets, as well as much-needed company on cold nights.

A spokesman for the Woodville store said: "We are in the process of setting up a food bank-style collection point for people to donate food to help the homeless people of Swadlincote.

"We're just putting the finishing touches to the box so that everyone knows what can and can't be put in them. It should be out tomorrow, Wednesday, November 15, and we're excited to see the donations start to come in."

The collections are being carried out as part of an ongoing campaign organised by the managers of the five stores in the local area.

Tesco Express in Stapenhill which was targeted
Tesco Express in Stanton Road will be one of the stores collecting food

The spokesman added: "Last week, we helped the Star Foundation out by doing some painting for them."

The scheme is being carried out as part of an ongoing campaign by the high street supermarket chain.

"One of the managers in the Swadlincote store has been out with Burton HOPE to meet the homeless people and offer his support to them."

Chairman of Burton HOPE, John Anderson, says donations would be gratefully received as the festive period approaches. The group is now planning on carrying out similar work in Swadlincote and support people without a home.

He said: "We are starting to work in Swadlincote to support the people living on the streets there.

"We are trying to link up with all of the other groups in the area that support homeless people, like P3 the CVS, Bank House and South Derbyshire District Council."

Collection Dates

The collections will be held in Tesco Express stores between the following dates:

Woodville store: Wednesday, November 15 - Sunday, November 26;

Stanton Road store: Monday, November 27 - Monday, December 11;

Stapenhill store: Monday, January 8 - Sunday, January 21;

Hearthcote Road store: Monday, January 22 - Sunday, February 4;

Church Gresley store: Monday, February 5 - Sunday, February 18.