A VILLAGE shop in Herefordshire is offering to feed children who might struggle to eat during half term, after the government voted against a proposal for free school meals during the holiday.

The Carrot and Wine shop in Wormelow said if children are entitled to free school meals they will discreetly provide families with all they need to make sandwiches during half-term week, free of charge.

Gordon Miller, from the store, said he didn't want to get involved in the politics, he just wanted to help families less fortunate that his own.

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"It's not political, I don't want to be drawn into the right and wrongs conversation about whether it should be done or not by the Government," Mr Miller, 37, said.

"We are in the middle of unprecedented and very hard times for a lot of people. There's no immediate end in sight and if anything it's potentially getting worse.

"There's always people struggling one way or another, but there's people struggling on multiple fronts now.

"Children are having their lives disrupted beyond all belief. I've got young children of my own and you ask them to wear a mask and they wear a mask, they don't question it.

"They're completely innocent in all of this that's going on, but those in families who are really struggling to make ends meet, or just don't know where the next meal is coming from, if we can help them we will."

He said it was important to be discreet as for some families it was a matter of pride.

"Our customer base is diverse, from a very high demographic, all the way through the spectrum of ages," he added.

"We've got local schools around us, I don't know what proportion of children who do or don't get free school meals, but I do know life is completely different now

"People are still on furlough and there's more difficulty coming up. If there's something we can do to support our customers, and not just our customers, people who need help to help their children, then we will do it."

The news comes after Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford called on the government to provide free school meals during the holidays.

Marcus Rashford’s petition to end child food poverty lead to a motion put down by Labour that was defeated by 322 votes to 261 on Wednesday.