TAVISTOCK TESCO is inviting customers to round up their bill to the nearest pound at the checkout in the school summer holidays to help hungry children.

The campaign is running in the last week in July and first week in August.

With 31 per cent of families in South West England worried about feeding their children during the school holidays, shoppers are being urged to support this new campaign.

This summer will also see Tesco offer pre-packed customer donation bags at its Tavistock store.

The bags, which typically cost between £2 and £3, are pre-filled with healthy and nutritious long-life items and can be picked up in store and paid for at the checkout.

The donated food is then passed to charities FareShare and the Trussell Trust, who will distribute it to charities and foodbanks to help those who need it most.

Research by Tesco says 11 per cent of parents in the region plan to forgo their own meals to make sure their children are fed.

Claire De Silva, head of communities of Tesco, said the campaign wanted to help families with little support whose children would otherwise miss out on ‘the good stuff over the summer break.

“If we all pull together over the coming months, whether that’s popping a few tins into a food collection point, picking up a food donation bag in our stores or rounding up our grocery bill, we can make a difference to the lives of thousands of children, who, without support, could have a tough summer holiday,” she said.