FareShare North East said it was devastated after thieves broke into its Middlesbrough warehouse, cutting power to the walk‑in freezer and chiller units and destroying perishable supplies. The Teesside base, which redistributes supermarket donations from Newcastle and Middlesbrough to more than 200 community groups including food banks, reported that 16 tonnes of food were ruined, roughly 7,000 meals.
Middlesbrough hub manager Natasha Flanagan described the scene as heart‑breaking. She said lockers and staff drawers in the main warehouse were smashed, with chiller doors left open and the freezer door ajar, causing significant damage to food that could not be saved. “Honestly it’s heartbreaking and we do really good things here,” she added.
FareShare North East has been operating in Middlesbrough since 2023 and moved to a new base on Skippers Lane about four months ago. The charity redistributes food donated by supermarkets from its Newcastle and Middlesbrough warehouses to more than 200 community groups, including food banks. Cleveland Police confirmed a break-in was reported at around 07:40 BST on Tuesday and said an investigation was ongoing, asking anyone with information to come forward. Chief executive Jake Hanmore said: “The team that are based here day in and day out are absolutely devastated. We’ve not long moved into this warehouse and so to come in and find it had been broken into was absolutely heartbreaking for them.” The Middlesbrough hub is due to reopen on Thursday.
