FIREFIGHTERS have been helping to distribute food parcels to families in need of support.

Earlier this month, Cumbria County Council confirmed support for free school meals over the Christmas period for nearly 12,000 children.

Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service is now helping deliver packages.

Watch manager Steve Johnston said: "CFRS is a big part of the community. We are there to help people in a number of different ways, be it frontline firefighting or helping the community in any manner that we can, especially during the Covid crisis.

"If that means delivering food parcels to people who are in need, we are more than happy to assist in this process."

The council-run scheme is one part of a package of support for people in need of help with food and utilities costs over Christmas, paid for using the £1.5m allocation Cumbria received from the national COVID Winter Grant Scheme. It is expected that free school meals will also be funded over the February half-term holiday.

People can call the county council's Support Helpline on 0800 783 1966.