Tesco has begun selling small donation bags pre-filled with items most needed by food banks in 300 of its stores.

Available to pick up as customers enter a store, the bags contain items such as pasta, pulses, and pasta sauce and will typically cost around £3.50.

The bags will remain on sale until 3 September, alongside every Tesco store’s permanent collection point where customers can donate long-life food items all year round.

Last year, the total amount of food donated by Tesco shoppers to the Trussell Trust and FareShare was the equivalent of 12.5 million meals.

Over the summer, customers will also be able to round up their bill to the nearest pound at the checkout to make it easier to offer financial support to the charities.