Thousands of low-income families in Staffordshire have been offered food vouchers to help support them financially over half-term.

Staffordshire County Council is promising a £15 voucher to the families of up to 18,000 children, which can be used in major supermarkets on food or essential supplies for October half term.

The scheme will be administered through schools and is available to families of children who are eligible for free school meals during term time.

Mark Sutton, Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet member for Children and Young People, said: "We know that times are hard for many families at the moment, with increased pressures on household budgets, so we wanted to help those in greater need to ensure that children can get a decent meal through the holiday."

This starts with a voucher for children entitled to free school meals but also includes access to virtual family hubs, which have videos of local people creating recipes.

The scheme is being funded through the county council's allocation of the Local Authority Emergency Assistance Grant for Food and Essential Supplies from Defra.

Mark Sutton added: "The county council has said throughout this pandemic that it will do whatever it can to help the people of Staffordshire through this crisis, whether it's backing businesses, supporting volunteer groups, helping the vulnerable and, now, supporting families who have been affected by recent events."