An essential part of elderly care in Suffolk has been highlighted with a series of events celebrating the meals on wheels service.

A relay event saw a meal made in Cornwall travel across the South East, through Essex and Suffolk, before being handed over to the Midlands region in Long Melford.

The event marked National Community Meals Week, part of a campaign to make the community meals service a statutory requirement.

The handover was hosted at Melford Hall, on November 12, with mayor Robert Spivey and parish council chairman Peter Turner in attendance.

Mr Turner said: “It is a vital service. I know money is tight, and unfortunately it is often the most vulnerable people who suffer.

“We are very glad to be able to take part in raising awareness of this issue and it should be a statutory requirement.”

Organised by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC), the week seeks to emphasise the significance of meals on wheels services to elderly and vulnerable residents.

Mark Taylor, south east regional chairman of the NACC, said: “Community meals services form an essential part of the care that elderly and vulnerable people receive and provide a range of benefits beyond simply supplying hot food. Regular personal contact, relationship building and the broader benefits that the service brings all contribute to crucial holistic care that can keep people in their homes and out of hospitals. It is under threat and we need to raise awareness of the issue.”