HUNDREDS of thousands of items have been donated to needy children and worthy causes across Teesside by Tesco’s Teesport depot in less than a year.

Stock which cannot be sold in its supermarkets such as out-of-date annuals and electrical goods in dented boxes is now put aside instead of destroyed and given as charity raffle prizes or gifts to youngsters in some of the Tees Valley’s most deprived areas.

Brian Fleet, Tesco Community Champion, said he feels like Father Christmas 365 days a year when he turns up at schools with his car full of goodies.

“When I first started people thought there was a catch and it was just too good to be true, they were very suspicious,” he said.

“I think I have the best job, it is great to know that we are making a difference.”

Mr Fleet is determined to visit every primary school in Teesside to discuss how it could help boost schools’ coffers by donating unsellable stock in perfect condition for charity raffles.

Ollie Bunn, Tesco Team Manager, said the scheme launched last May was not a marketing ploy to boost profits. “We do not drive around in Tesco vans, this is definitely not about advertising the brand.

“There was was a big outcry when this site went up, it was not a popular place so but we know that a lot of the people who work here come from the local area so it’s nice to give back.”

The £128m depot at Teesport near Redcar has about 500 employees and is almost a kilometre long. Cargo ships, mainly from China, offload non-perishable goods which are stored at the warehouse before being loaded onto lorries and transported to Tesco stores across the North-East and southern Scotland.

Tesco nationally is supporting Diabetes UK this year but its Teesport depot has also picked local causes to help including Evergreen Care Home in Middlesbrough, Red Dreams music mentoring in Hartlepool and the Chris Cave Foundation in Redcar which combats knife-crime.

Theresa Cave launched the foundation in his memory of her son, Chris, after he was murdered 10 years ago on June 5. Tesco is donating prizes for an entertainment night on June 13 at Whale Hill Social Club in Redcar and an anti-knife fun day in Redcar High Street on June 22.

“Tesco’s support has been overwhelming,” she explained. “They are the only people who have ever held their hands so to have them backing us is amazing.”