A FREE food and welfare initiative set up by a crime-fighting group helped its first ever animals this week – and used up food instead of letting it go to waste.
Clacton’s Counter Crime Partnership (CCP) is a town-link radio scheme which brings together almost 60 businesses to prevent and detect shoplifting across north Essex, including Clacton and Harwich.
It has a scheme which works on the idea that by giving out free food and welfare items such as shower gel which are damaged or past their sell-by date to people who might shoplift can help prevent crime.
The food and welfare programme usually only helps people but support officer Emma Christmas decided to put 10 boxes of mangos to good use, instead of letting them go to waste.
As Emma also volunteers at the Horse Rangers Association in Harwich, with Farm Foods’ permission, she delivered the unwanted fruit for 30 horses to enjoy.
Emma said: “The horses thought Christmas had come early.
“The horses and ponies are all well looked after, but the charity can usually only afford the most basic feed."
Emma said the Tesco Express Store in Harwich is the only one to donate fruit to Horse Rangers, but more donations would be welcome.
People are urged not to put any food over the fence as some horses have special dietary requirements.
To find out more about Clacton Counter Crime Partnership visit their Facebook page or email controlroom@countercrimepartnership.uk.
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