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07
Jul 2020
Vulnerable Ripon woman sent rotten food from government scheme
For five consecutive weeks, a vulnerable Ripon woman received food boxes from a government-led scheme containing items unfit to eat.
The woman, who wishes to stay anonymous, contacted The Stray Ferret, after receiving weekly boxes containing bags of rotting potatoes and carrots and dented tins.
The woman who is currently staying in sheltered accommodation, as she recuperates following life-saving surgery, has been in self-isolation for many weeks and has shown The Stray Ferret timed and dated photographs taken on her smartphone of the sub-standard items received in boxes delivered over a five-week period.
To verify her claims, we have also taken our own photography of goods, which are delivered each Wednesday from a Bidfood-UK depot in Wakefield.
The woman, who initially complained direct to the depot via phone and email, was unhappy with the response received and decided to call The Stray Ferret.
She said:
Read more:
In May, the government's Communities Secretary, Robert Jenrick, announced that more than a million boxes of essential food had been delivered to those at highest risk across England. He praised national food distributors, including Bidfood, for the part played by the company in delivering packages directly to clinically vulnerable people’s doorsteps.
The food box programme, which began in late March has seen government partner with the food industry and local councils and in May, Mr Jenrick said:
Jim Gouldie, supply chain and technical services director at Bidfood:
Mr Gouldie, added:
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