Christmas Eve saw Aldi donate almost 6,000 meals to local charities, community groups and food banks across Suffolk.

Working with Neighbourly - a community giving platform that links businesses to charitable organisations - the supermarket paired up its stores with local charity partners in the area to collect unsold fresh and chilled food when shops closed early on December 24.

Branches are set to repeat the initiative on December 31.

Liz Fox, corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, said: "We are incredibly proud to have supported so many amazing charities and community groups in Suffolk this Christmas, helping them to provide warm and healthy festive meals to those in need.

"We know that the festive period will have been a particularly challenging time for so many this year which is why we also launched our Emergency Foodbank Fund – allowing us to support even more organisations at a time of heightened demand."

To further support local communities this year, Aldi’s Emergency Winter Foodbank Fund also saw the supermarket commit to donating £250,000 to charitable organisations throughout the winter season.