An East Lancashire turkey farmer has launched a new scheme to help feed those in need after 200 of his Christmas turkeys went unsold.

Paul White, owner of Paul's Turkeys in Laneshaw Bridge, near Colne, said “scaremongering” reports of a shortage have driven customers to supermarkets to buy a frozen turkey instead of supporting local businesses and pre-ordering a fresh one.

Paul, from Langho, has now launched a ‘Feast It Forward’ scheme where for £10 you can help to give a turkey to a family who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford one this Christmas.

With the scheme, for every five £10 vouchers bought, the farm's cost of production price, the team will give a turkey to those who can’t afford one this year.

Paul said: “We still have hundreds of turkeys which are unsold and won’t now sell before Christmas, which we’re devastated about.

“After months and months of hard work, sweat, and plenty of tears, we need to turn this into something positive and we need your help.

“We’re hoping to give those who can afford one the gift of a beautiful tasting, free range, heritage turkey this Christmas.

“We’re working with Community & Business Partners CIC to identify families and distribute these.

“If you can buy one, it would mean the world to us, and to them.

“If you can have a collection in the office, if you're a business who would like to buy a couple, even if you can just share this and help to spread the word, it would mean the world.”

At the time of writing around 30 turkeys have been gifted to those who can’t afford one and Paul's team aim to reach 100.

Paul, who sold all 250 turkeys at the farm in 2021, spokes to the Lancashire Telegraph earlier this month and said he was worried about his business after consumers were warned of a “big, big shortage” of British free range turkeys.

Paul says the news may have driven customers to the supermarket to buy a frozen turkey out of fear they will be left without this Christmas.

He said: “I can say with certainty there is no shortage on our farm and our birds are selling slower than they ever have.

“We are now more worried about whether we will sell them than about bird flu.

“So much care and attention has gone into raising our birds.

“We care about our animals and raise and sell them ourselves.”

It was recently announced that Paul’s Turkeys will be supplying Booths with turkeys in 2023.

The former Pendle councillor, whose farm won a silver award at the British Farming Awards, said: “I have been obsessed with the Booths brand for years, I’m a fiercely proud Lancastrian, and I’ve always wanted to farm.

“This opportunity to work with Booths is the culmination of a boyhood dream come true. The scheme itself is a really refreshing way of farmers and supermarkets working together.”

You can order a Christmas turkey and a Feast it Forward voucher by visiting the Paul's Turkeys website: www.paulsturkeys.co.uk