NHS staff are collecting food parcels from a Kent food bank amid the cost of living crisis.

Ambulance drivers and nurses are using the charitable services of Swale Foodbank, it has emerged.

This comes alongside a report published last week by Kent County Council (KCC), which says food banks have been struggling to cope with the increases in demand for their services.

Esther Hurwood, project manager at Swale Foodbank, said: "People can only manage with what they have in their pay packet.

"We have to support them, with some families needing to feed their children."

Research has shown that, in Kent, Swale and Thanet have the highest number of neighbourhoods identified as energy crisis hotspots, ranking 44th and 52nd out of 331 local authorities in England and Wales.

With energy bills soaring, working families are beginning to come through the doors of Swale Foodbank.

This includes staff from the NHS, such as ambulance crews and nurses.

Ms Hurwood says the growing demand for their services has been "stark" over the last six years, since she has been volunteering at Swale Foodbank.

She said: "We have been given some funding we need to get us through the winter months.

"Food banks were never set up to have to buy food, but that is what we are having to do now.

"We have seen really desperate people who are coming through the doors.

"Now we are seeing nurses and ambulance drivers."

Swale Foodbank is working closely with Swale Borough Council and KCC, with both authorities providing funding.

The food bank has four main centres in Swale, the Net Church in East Street, Holy Trinity Parish Hall, Richmond Academy in Sheerness and Sittingbourne Baptist Church.

Homeless people and unemployed residents were mainly using it when it first opened, according to Ms Hurwood.

Swale Foodbank is reliant on donations of food to keep the centres running, along with grants from councils and the government.

However, donations are running low, notably tinned meat, fish, vegetables, milk and toiletries, such as soap, shower gel, tissues and toilet paper.

Ms Hurwood is calling for more help.

"We are struggling for donations at Swale Foodbank," she said.

"Even during Covid, donations were low as people were not able to go out. They are lower than that now."

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Alternatively, call 07486 370709.