FOOD BANKS and Conwy cold face an “unprecedented challenge” to their stocks following the outbreak of the Coronavirus.

The charities - which rely on donations - and the families they support could be among the worst hit by panic buying of vital supplies such as past and UHT milk, as well as a potential fall in income due to time off work.

In a statement from the Trussell Trust network - which operates services at the Christian Centre in Rhyl, at the Alive Church in Prestatyn and the Abergele District Foodbank - chief executive Emma Revie urged the public continue to try and support foodbanks. Outside of the network, there are also major services at Rhyl Foryd Community Cente and the Wellspring Christian Centre.

Ms Revie said: “With the spread of Coronavirus we all now face an unprecedented challenge and uncertain future.

“!It is possible that food banks will face increased demand as people lose income, at the same time as food donations drop or staff and volunteers are unavailable, due to measures rightly put in place to slow the spread of infection.

“All of this comes when food banks are already dealing with a record level of need for emergency food.

“We’re working with our network on how best to support people as the situation unfolds. Wherever possible, food banks will continue to provide the lifeline of emergency food to people unable to afford the essentials and we encourage the public to continue donating after checking with their local food bank what items are most needed.

“We welcome the Department for Work and Pensions’ measures that will not penalise or sanction people for self-isolating, but we ask our government to go further and consider additional measures they could take to ensure everyone has enough money for essentials at this challenging time. Ending the five week wait for a first Universal Credit payment would be one such measure that could help significantly.”