Foodbank welcomes 'phenomenal' donation of 700 toys after theft of Christmas gifts

Christmas presents for underprivileged children were stolen when thieves broke in on Monday Credit: ITV News Tyne Tees

The West End Foodbank in Newcastle has reopened today two days after it was forced to close because of a break-in in which thieves stole Christmas presents destined for underprivileged children.

Staff have welcomed a flood of donations from the public after the burglary and have received more than 700 toys in the past 48 hours. Organisers say the response has been 'phenomenal', and told ITV News Tyne Tees that one woman from Hong Kong has sent a donation of £1000 to the centre.

The food bank, run by the Trussell Trust, is the largest in the UK and serves more than 1,000 people each week. Today it was operating from its original site at the Venerable Bede Church on West Road as it normally does on a Thursday. The break-in happened at the food bank's second site in Benwell, which was forced to close on Tuesday and Wednesday this week, denying an estimated 60-80 people vital supplies.