MALVERN'S homeless problems are being tackled by a food voucher scheme set up by Churches Together in Malvern.

This Christmas, the organisation is hoping the town's residents will donate enough money to provide 200 vouchers worth £5, which can be used to buy food.

Andy Lyle, general manager at the Lyttelton Well, said the scheme would not just help homeless people, but people such as single mums who are on the breadline.

"Malvern shows an affluent front but underneath there's severe deprivation," he said.

"You get the hidden homeless, those who bed down in squats or in Priory Churchyard, and then you get those who are unable to claim benefits because they are mentally unfit or because of the stigma attached to it."

Mr Lyle is hoping that supermarkets around the town will place collection boxes in their stores with the aim of raising £1,000 to provide 200 vouchers.

These vouchers will then be redeemable from the Lyttelton Well by retailers.

"The whole idea of the vouchers as that it is spent on food, not drugs or alcohol," said Mr Lyle.

"If the general public give money to homeless people, it will invariably end up being spent on alcohol which doesn't help the problem.

"I know £1,000 is an awful lot to raise and really it would only be the tip of the iceberg, but I hope this is going to be a good scheme.

"I just need people to get behind it."