A businessman left with fridges full of unwanted fresh vegetables and fruit because of the COVIS-19 crisis decided he would give it all away.

Jay Thakrar is the proprietor of Shipleys Foodservice Ltd - fruit and vegetable wholesalers at Upton Court Farm, Slough. It is a worrying time for him with 75 staff to look after.

But last Thursday he took his van into Bath Road at Taplow packed with fresh food that would otherwise have gone to waste - and waited for people to come and collect what they wanted.

He said: "We supply a lot of hotels and restaurants and we have lost all our business at the moment because they have closed. We usually do 100 deliveries a day - today we did just seven."

But when people ignored his van and he realised they did not understand what was happening, he contacted the Observer to ask us to let people know on our website why he was parked there.

The result was amazing. He said: "Within 45 minutes people had realised and I had given away 80 mixed boxes."

Now he wants to help the busy doctors and staff at Wexham Park Hospital and his offer has been gratefully received.

Mr Thakrar said: "I am offering milk, strawberries and mushrooms for the staff working so hard there - and we are fixing a date for me deliver it all there this week."

Meanwhile Mr Thakrar admits he is disappointed with the Government's response to businesses like his.

He has to meet the wage bill for his staff this week. He said: "The Government has offered help but when you try and get it there is so much red tape. I was asked questions I would need a crystal ball to answer, we did not even understand some of them - even though they must have all my tax records and details on file.

"They asked us to go through the bank first. It is a real waiting game but the Government needs to understand we need help now.