APPROXIMATELY 5,000 items of food and drink have been donated via Bromsgrove Sporting Football Club during the coronavirus pandemic.

The Rouslers set up a collection to aid foodbanks at New Starts at Aston Fields and Catshill Baptist Church near the start of the outbreak of the disease in March.

However, the Southern Premier Central club is now bringing the collections to a close with donations dwindling amid a return back to some sort of normality for the majority of people.

Co-ordinator and club director Phil Baker explained the reasons behind ending the scheme and thanked everyone who has donated - and urged them to continue doing so directly to the charities.

He said: "In the last few weeks we have seen donations tail off considerably so it is now not worth opening the Victoria Ground for people to drop of food or supplies.

"We started back in March and over six months we reckon that the local foodbanks have between them received around 5,000 items.

"However, we understand that demand is still high from people in need, so instead we would suggest that potential donors use supermarket collection points or send direct to the two organisations ran out of New Starts at Aston Fields and Catshill Baptist Church.

"Can we thank everybody who has supported the collection during this difficult time."