Man making hot food deliveries to truck drivers across region and Banbury

Truck drivers like Patrick Owens spend long hours each day transporting goods needed by people across the country during the coronavirus outbreak.

Patrick and his wife, Shelly, spent most of the day on Wednesday April 15 delivering homemade hot meals and drinks to truck drivers across the region as they stopped for breaks at popular lay-by spots and service stations.

They delivered 50 portions of chicken casserole, 50 jacket potatoes, 40 bottles of water and Coke and 40 Easter eggs, all free of charge.

They're also planning another delivery of homemade chilli and nachos to truckers at the Warwick Services on the M40 motorway and in Banbury on this Wednesday April 22.

Patrick said: "We're not looking to get anything out of this. It's all come out of our own pocket. We just want to help."

Patrick created the online group called HGV SOS UK on Facebook as a way for truck drivers across the country to come together and communicate with one another in one place as a community.

He added: "It's not just about delivering food. It's about mental health too. It's good to talk. We just see how they are doing in general, and how they're coping with the lockdown.

Patrick currently works as a truck driver delivering food to area distribution centres across the country.

He added: "We provide the backbone to the country transporting goods across the country."

*A message from the Banbury Guardian Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper when you do your weekly shop.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.