Stricken North Sea tanker gives food banks a boost

A church-run food bank said it had one of its "craziest" donations to date after receiving food from a cargo vessel at the centre of a North Sea collision.

Volunteers from the St Mary Magdalene Church food bank in Gorleston, Norfolk, were invited to the Stena Immaculate cargo vessel, which is docked at the Port of Great Yarmouth, to collect frozen meat and fish.

The vessel was towed into the port on 11 April after it was involved in a collision in the North Sea.

The Reverend Matthew Price, from St Mary Magdalene Church, said: "This has to rank up there with one of the craziest donations. It's not often someone rings you up to say they have a cubic metre of meat."

The vessel, which had been transporting jet fuel for the US military, had been travelling to Hull from a Greek port when it was struck by Portuguese-flagged Solong on 10 March.

It was towed to Great Yarmouth in April for inspection, where it has remained ever since.

Mr Price said he received a call from the crew on the ship who wanted to offload food that was meant to sustain them while at sea.

"We had no clue what it was going to be," he said.

The food bank said the donation of meat and fish will sustain it for several months.

The organisation runs a weekly community meal on Tuesday for about 60 adults and Mr Price said attendees will see beef and oxtail soup become part of the menu.

"One of the biggest costs for sustaining our meal is meat... that will keep us going for a long time... it's completely random but we were extremely grateful," he added.

Two volunteers and the food bank's chef transported the donations off the ship's gang plank on 15 May.

Mr Price said: "It was tragic what happened to that ship and it's great some good can come from it.

"It's really touching to think all the various connections that were made to make this happen. It makes it more special."

He added the Norwich Foodbank had first received items from the boat and it had put the vessel's master in contact with the church.

The master of the Stena Immaculate has been contacted for comment.

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