The Eliza DoLittle Society food bank in Warwick will close its doors for several weeks later this month because staff have gone on medical leave.

The food bank will be closed from September 24 to November 13, but will continue to collect non-perishable food donations so they have stock when they reopen.

Other programmes offered by The Eliza DoLittle Society such as the HSBC Adopt-a-Senior programme and lunches for schoolchildren, will not be affected by the closure.

Jennifer Mahoney, the charity’s executive director, said: “We understand the impact that this will have on the local community and have made every effort to ensure that those in need of our services are aware of other options available to them while we are closed.

“Our communication channels will be monitored and contact information is on our social media sites.”

She added: “The unavoidable closure is as a result of concurrent staff medical leave.

“Both the board and I felt it was prudent to reach out to other third sector partners to try and secure some level of support for our clients during the temporary closure.

“We value each client and are truly empathetic to the challenges they face daily.”

The Eliza DoLittle Society food bank provided aboout 43,000 meals to those in need last year.