A church in Scotland has been thanked for collecting four and a half tonnes of food for a foodbank during lockdown. 

Over 15 weeks, Houston and Killellan Kirk in Renfrewshire provided enough ingredients for the equivalent of more than 11,100 meals. 

Rev Gary Noonan who is the minister of the parish, explained that within days of closing the building due to lockdown rules, they were looking at how to help the most vulnerable.

"We were acutely aware at this time it's often the poorest who are hit hardest," he said.

"By the Monday after closing our buildings we had 20 volunteers from the congregation and wider local area, which soon grew to 35. They were able to do peoples' shopping, that kind of thing."

In the past, the congregation had made substantial donations to Renfrewshire Foodbank twice a year but realised it would need their support more than ever. Soon they were collecting around 80 bags a week to deliver to the foodbank. 

While Rev Noonan describes it as a "scandal" that people are still forced to rely on foodbanks, he is impressed about the way the community has been involved. 

In a letter thanking the church and those who had helped from the local area, Renfrewshire Foodbank described their donations as "truly incredible".

However, the letter goes on to say that they expect a "dramatic rise" in the number of people needing their services when the full impact of job losses hits. As a result, Rev Noonan intends to continue the collection at the church for the foreseeable future.