As winter sets in a Droitwich councillor is hoping to get some town coffee shops on board with a scheme which offers free coffee or a hot snack for anyone in need.

The concept began in Italy and quickly spread across the globe: customers using cafes can leave money behind the counter to fund a coffee or snack for someone who cannot afford to buy a drink or food.

The idea is not just aimed at helping the homeless but also those who find themselves out of work and broke.

Councillor Alan Humphries said: “I would like to speak to town traders about supporting a voluntary scheme so that we could help local people who are homeless or in need.

“Traders supporting the scheme could simply put a sign in their window and then customers could leave some money behind at the till to buy somebody coffee or a hot meal if they wished.  There would be no pressure on anyone to contribute.”

Councillor Humphries said the scheme was run successfully elsewhere in the UK and locally it would complement the town’s Foodbank which has seen a sharp rise in demand for its emergency food parcels in the past few months.

The Foodbank helps families or individuals in a temporary crisis helping to tide them over when faced with a redundancy or an unexpected bill.  

But it operates on a voucher system where families are referred by agencies and present the voucher for emergency aid.

Unlike the Foodbank which has to operate to a set of criteria, the Coffee Shop scheme is more informal and is run on trust.

Anyone who is in need is able to ask for a free hot drink or snack at participating cafes and, if customers have left cash to support the scheme, the cafe can serve them at no charge.

Richard Miele from Spats Coffee shop on the High Street said: “I would need a bit more detail about the scheme but I would certainly be open to the idea.”

Kate Rushton, owner of the Button Tree, on High Street said: “I would consider running it over winter as the weather turns cold.”