THE community rallied round to ensure a harvest festival could go ahead after food donations were taken from a church altar.

Food went missing just days before a harvest service was due to take place at St Peter’s Church in Kells, Whitehaven, which hosts a weekly food pantry for people who are struggling.

A post on the St Peter’s Church Facebook page afterwards said over the last few months, ‘a few people had been taking a lot of food’ which meant there had been less to go around.

The post went on to say that all the harvest offering had been taken from up by the altar - though this produce was ‘obviously not part of the pantry’.

Despite a plea for the items to be returned, it was generous residents who saved the day by donating further food items.

The Reverend Mandy Jones, of St Peter's Church, said: “Some wonderful people from the community brought some stuff. We’ll put it out in our food pantry where people can come and take a bit of food if they’re short.

“The mix-up had come about from someone taking the stuff from our harvest produce instead of the food pantry.

“We are going to man it a bit more until the message gets out that it’s for a lot of people’s benefit, not just one or two.”

Chris Hayes, mayor of Whitehaven, who represents Kells on the town council, said: “It’s unbelievable. It’s greedy, greedy people.

“The poor vicar at the church is pulling her hair out. She’s trying to help the community and they are throwing it back in her face. It’s terrible.”

Cllr Hayes added that he wasn’t surprised that the Kells community had come together to ensure the harvest festival could still take place.

He said: “It doesn’t shock me. Kells is a great community and I’m delighted to be able to represent them again. They are a great bunch of people.”