STAFF from a law firm collected 41kg of emergency food in just a week following an urgent appeal by a foodbank.

Holmes and Hills Solicitors collected the items from its offices in Braintree, Coggeshall, Halstead, Sudbury and Tiptree and donated them to the Braintree Area Foodbank.

After reading about the foodbank's urgent appeal for tinned items likes soup or spaghetti in The Times, legal secretary Louisa Jones took it upon herself to organise the collection.

She said: "I am pleased and shocked that my small appeal turned out like this. Everyone was very supportive and bought food back from supermarkets when they returned from lunch breaks.

"Some of the Partners who were too busy to go shopping donated cash.”

The food will be handed out to those in need in Braintree and the surrounding area.

Phil Davies, a partner at Holmes and Hills, said: “We were only too pleased to respond to the local foodbank’s urgent call for more supplies and I’m proud that so many from across our five offices contributed.

"We live in uncertain economic times and this can increase hardship. I must thank my colleagues Katie Chan and Lousia Jones for raising awareness, rallying everyone across the business and organising the donation.”

Vivian Salter, director of the Braintree Area Foodbank, thanked the firm for the impressive donation.

She said: "Donations of food are vital to us and without you we could not run our foodbank. The donation will make a real difference to those in food poverty and we appreciate all that you have done.”

Braintree Area Foodbank is run primarily by a team of volunteers and fed 2,798 people in the last financial year.

Visit www.braintreearea.foodbank.org.uk.