Tesco customers are being urged to donate items with long shelf lives to help those facing hunger in St Helens.

The supermarket is hosting its 12th annual Winter Food Collection, with all donations going to Trussell Trust and FareShare.

The collection runs in Express stores from November 25 to 30 and in large stores from November 28 to 30.

Both charities anticipate high demand for their services this winter.

Ken Murphy, Tesco Group CEO, said: "Our partners tell us they’ve seen even more families needing their help and they expect demand to increase this winter, so we’re encouraging St Helens customers to donate whatever they can to our Winter Food Collection.

"With frontline charities and foodbanks facing exceptionally high demand this year, pre-packed donation bags make it easy to make a big difference to someone else’s Christmas."

According to research by the Trussell Trust, nearly a quarter of children under four are at risk of hunger and hardship, while 9.3 million people in the UK face similar struggles.

FareShare's annual impact report paints a similar picture, with an 86 per cent increase in people accessing services from the 8,000 charity partners and community groups they support.

Tesco aims to exceed the two million meals donated during last year's collection.

To achieve this, pre-packed customer donation bags are now available in more stores.

These bags, costing £2 to £3, can be purchased at the checkout and are filled with healthy items with long shelf lives.

Emma Revie, Trussell chief executive, said: "Food banks are a last resort for people who’ve been left facing hunger and hardship.

"They’re a lifeline, offering a warm welcome and space to be heard."

Kris Gibbon-Walsh, FareShare chief executive, said: "The Tesco Winter Food Collection enables us to collect long-life, staple ingredients that complement the fresh surplus food we redistribute.

"If you’re able to donate just one item at your local store, you’ll be helping to provide a meal for someone in hardship this winter."

Tesco has donated the equivalent of more than 220 million meals since 2012 through its Community Food Connection programme.